Plasma's Folly
by Ahnyo
Summary: Fueled by vengeance, a smitten geneticist unleashes a terror upon the Unova region. Team Plasma's goals are thrown aside upon the emergence of this new threat, with the exception of one project: the development of the enigmatic GMP156. Allured by the opportunities brought forth by the tragedy, a young king finds himself questioning the values he was raised to uphold.
1. Metamorphosis

Nothing made any sense.

There was no explanation for why Destiny had woken up in a huge, otherwise empty room with a bunch of other teenagers, all asleep or unconscious or something. Or why her arm stung and her head buzzed. What in the name of Arceus was going on? It was all completely beyond her.

Destiny drowsily sat up, trying to sort things out in her mind. The last thing she remembered was walking somewhere. She couldn't put her finger on where, but she knew the sun had been going down, and that she had been by herself. But that didn't explain how she had ended up here.

She studied her surroundings, still not fully awake. It was dead silent. The walls were plain white, and there were no windows. The room was lit by several large incandescent light bulbs on the ceiling. There was a sturdy steel door in one corner of the room, and to her surprise it was wide open. She swept her gaze across the rows of sleeping kids, who were all perfectly lined up as if they had purposely organized themselves that way. There had to be at least forty of them. It seemed apparent that Destiny was the only one awake.

As Destiny slowly began to process the information she was picking up, she grew more and more uncomfortable. Something inside of her was nagging her to leave the place at once, and she couldn't help but agree with it. There was something unsettling, perhaps even disturbing about everything she had seen today.

She took a deep breath as she rose to her feet, feeling somewhat dizzy. She awkwardly stepped over the bodies of sleeping teenagers as she made her way to the door. Destiny cautiously poked her head through the doorway. A long, narrow hallway stretched out in both directions. The walls were dull tan, and the floor was made up of white and light blue tiles. More metal doors lined both walls, set about a yard apart from each other. It reminded Destiny of a hospital, which made her feel uneasy. Again, her instinct yelled at her to leave as quickly as possible, and she didn't argue with it. Seeing that the coast was clear, she slid out of the room.

Which way should she go? She hesitantly decided to go left, silently praying that she had chosen the right direction. She scanned the walls as she walked, hoping to find a friendly sign with bold, red letters spelling out **EXIT**. Destiny trudged to the end of the hall, and to her despair was met with another long hallway of metal doors. Sighing, she turned the corner and resumed her hunt.

Her trip down the second hallway was fruitless, much like the first. However, this time she didn't find herself in front of another hallway. _I knew I should've gone right_, she thought in frustration.

Destiny walked back the way she had come, and she soon arrived in front of the room she had found herself in earlier. She peered in and noticed that all of the kids were still knocked out. She also noticed that a number of spots in which she had previously seen people were now empty. Trying not to put too much thought into it, she headed down the hallway to the right.

Again, she turned a corner and found herself in front of another hallway. This one was different, though; Destiny could see a set of doors different from the rest at the far end. A smile flashed across her face; this was the most relieving thing she had seen all day. _That has to be the way out!_ Feeling motivated, she quickened her pace and marched up to the doors. Grinning, she shoved them open and stepped into the daylight.

_I don't know how long I've been in there, but it sure feels nice to be outside again._ The sky was bright cerulean and cloudless. A slight breeze swept Destiny's hair into the air and sent ripples through the dark green grass. A forest wrapped around the building, the trees fresh with new leaves. It was a gorgeous spring day, but Destiny had too much to worry about to fully admire its beauty.

Destiny walked away from the building, still suspicious of it. Now that she had escaped, she figured her top priority would be finding out where she was. Her surroundings didn't look familiar at all, but then again, Destiny wasn't an avid traveler. She had only left her hometown of Mistralton City a few times in the fourteen years of her life.

She strolled into the forest, hoping that she might be able to find civilization on the other side. It was only then that she really began to take notice of how much her arm stung; when she was faced with the struggle of trying to find a way out of the building, she had pushed the pain to the back of her mind. Expecting the worst, she raised her arm and examined it.

A small square of bandage was plastered against the crook of her elbow. She curiously peeled it off, wincing as the adhesive tugged at her skin. She found a tiny puncture that must have come from a needle. The skin directly around the mark was tinted purple, as if it had been bruised. _That's a bit freaky,_ Destiny thought as she smoothed the bandage back over her wound, _but nothing I've been through today has been normal. I still have no idea where I am, or what I was doing in that weird room with all those other kids. _

Destiny pondered the questions that were unrelentingly floating around in her mind as she walked. Had she been kidnapped? Was she suffering from some kind of amnesia? _I'm sure I'll find out what happened eventually, and then everything will click. I just need to get out of this Arceus damned forest first._

She brushed aside haphazardly placed plants and she ventured deeper into the forest, clearing a path for herself. _I hope none of these are poison ivy or anything nasty like that._ Destiny knew absolutely nothing about plants. She was also very inexperienced when it came to Pokémon. Unlike most people her age, becoming a Pokémon trainer never appealed to her. Instead, she planned on pursuing an education. She wasn't sure what she'd study, but she knew she'd find her niche eventually.

Minutes passed, and Destiny was still hopelessly wandering through the forest. It wouldn't have surprised her if she was walking around in circles. Growing frustrated, she decided to take a break. She sat down in front of an oak tree and leaned back against its thick trunk. She let out a deep breath. _Don't panic, Destiny. You just need a little time to rest, and then you'll find the way out._ Her forced optimism didn't do much to comfort her; it only made her more upset.

Trying to relax was futile. Anxiety, worry, desperation, and confusion swirled around in her head, making it impossible for Destiny to unwind and think clearly. She came to the conclusion that she'd need to find her way out of the forest before she could get any rest. Clenching her teeth, Destiny rose to her feet again. She cupped a hand over her eyes and surveyed her surroundings. Crossly, Destiny realized that she couldn't even remember which way she had come from. With a sigh, she chose to walk in a random direction and hoped for the best.

After walking for a few yards, an odd feeling stirred in Destiny's belly—it felt like something was tugging at her insides. Before she even had a chance to wonder what was happening, her legs collapsed beneath her and she squealed as she crashed to the ground. The sensation was spreading through her body at a rapid pace. _What's happening?_ Destiny cried mentally, digging her fingers into the earth as the feeling sharpened.

It was at that moment that Destiny made an alarming observation. Earlier, when she had removed the bandage from her arm, she noticed that a small patch of skin was tainted with purple. Now, her entire arm was the same color—but it wasn't just tinted with purple. It was an unnatural, vibrant shade of violet. To Destiny's horror, the vivid purple color was quickly dispersing throughout the rest of her body.

A vehement spasm wracked Destiny's body. She wanted to scream, but her voice wouldn't work. In fact, it seemed as if she had no control over her body. Absolutely powerless, Destiny could only anticipate the worst. Another fierce spasm rippled through her, and her figure jerked as if she had been electrocuted. By now, her entire body was the eye-popping violet color—a color seldom seen in the natural world, aside from in the petals of exotic wildflowers.

Destiny's waist began to contract, and she could feel her innards slowly shifting downward. Her lower body, which was where her organs had gathered, was beginning to protrude and was suspiciously reminiscent of an insect's abdomen. Her thighs shifted outward, sliding up and attaching themselves to the sides of her newly formed abdomen. They settled in a position slightly above where her hips had once been. At the same time, Destiny's insides tingled as if her entire internal composition was changing.

Unable to do anything to protest the grotesque transmogrification her body was being forced through, Destiny was clueless as to what was happening to her—and that made her even more terrified. She was incapable of turning her head around to watch as she morphed; the only thing she could see was the earth her face was pressed up against. The experience didn't hurt at all, but it felt extremely unnatural—it was as if she was made out of modeling clay, and someone was shaping her into something strange.

Destiny's skin turned stiff and solidified into what appeared to be a metallic substance. An odd feeling struck her, as if her bones were being dissolved. Destiny feared that her body would collapse in on itself, but her new exoskeleton of sorts held everything in place.

Her thighs became triangular in shape and thinned out until they were little more than metal plates connecting her legs to her body, and her shins took on the same shape. Her toes squeezed together into a point, and the substance that covered her feet faded into a light lavender color.

Destiny's shoulders turned circular and disk-like. Her elbows extended past where they attached to her upper arms and tapered into sharp points, and her forearms grew longer as well. Destiny's metal fingers pulled together like magnets, and a splash of lavender swamped over them. They tangled together and spiraled into a single vicious claw.

Her face stretched out horizontally, and her nose shriveled and melted into her face. Her lips curled back and disappeared, revealing a perpetually wide grin which stretched across her face. Her eyes, which had enlarged and turned a radiant shade of scarlet, sank until they rested on top of it. Destiny's blond hair vanished into her skull. Her ears disappeared into the sides of her face and were replaced by a pair of black pits above her eyes.

An odd growth erupted from her back, which extended outward until it came to rest over her head. It had a thin, curved base with two downward-facing folds, and was topped with a protrusion that bore a striking resemblance to a cannon. A yellow, rectangular object poked out of a slot in the base.

Although it had probably taken a total of two minutes for Destiny to complete her transformation, to her it felt like an eternity. Her body lay perfectly still aside from the stressed rise and fall of her chest. Another spasm jolted her body, and her voice rang out in a scream.

But the voice wasn't hers.

It came out as a garbled noise that would best be described as a mix of the buzz of an insect's wings, a dying engine, a power drill, and a high pitched shriek. Destiny cut off her scream out of surprise. Shaking, she tried to utter the word _hello. _

"_Wrrrllgghooo_," she croaked. Horror pulsed through her body, stemming from both the transmogrification she had just experienced and the fact that she couldn't speak. Realizing that she had regained control of her body, she lifted her head from the ground and began to pull herself up. She couldn't help but notice the new shape and color of her arms.

She sucked in rapid breaths of air, nearly hyperventilating. Destiny was obviously aware that her body had gone through some kind of dramatic change, but it hadn't felt believable until she was able to witness its toll. Her forearms were a glossy purple and were shaped like long, skinny teardrops. Cone-shaped claws took the place of her hands.

Destiny desperately wanted to deny the terrible images her eyes were showing her. Everything that had happened today could easily pass for a freakish nightmare, but she knew everything she was seeing was perfectly true.

Destiny wouldn't have been surprised if she broke down into insanity. How did this happen? Where was she? What was she? Who was she? Was she even Destiny anymore? Her head ached unbearably, and she would've loved to smash it open if only to end this maddening confusion.

She began to hear what sounded like something being dragged through the undergrowth. She didn't care. She didn't want to fathom what would happen if someone, or something, found her like this, though she was certain that whatever would happen couldn't be worse that what she had just gone through.

"Arceus," a hushed voice gasped, barely able to contain its excitement. Destiny shuddered, not even bothering to turn around and look at who it belonged to. "I've _never _seen a Pokémon like this before!"

**[Author's note: **_**Oh dear, it looks like you've stumbled upon yet another Pokémon hybrid fanfiction. It's an overused concept, yes, but hopefully you'll find this story enjoyable… if you even decide to read past the first chapter, that is.**_**]**


	2. Assembly

Drake (or Dragon, as he liked to be called) stood amidst a crowd containing more than a hundred people. They were all dressed in identical uniforms; Dragon couldn't help but think they looked ridiculous, even though he didn't normally care about that kind of thing. The uniforms sort of looked like something a knight from medieval times would wear. A knight with no sense of fashion, that is. But still, Dragon wore his uniform with pride, for it stood as proof of his undying allegiance to Team Plasma.

Team Plasma was an organization set on freeing Pokémon from the laborious duties forced upon them by humans, or at least that was what Dragon had been told. They strove to completely separate Pokémon and humans so Pokémon would no longer have to get injured in grueling battles for the sheer purpose of their trainer's entertainment. Dragon thought Team Plasma's purpose was reasonable, albeit very ambitious. He wasn't quite sure how they intended to reshape a region whose economy solely centered around Pokémon, but he figured he'd stick around to see how things played out. Dragon, like so many other Team Plasma grunts, simply joined the organization because he wanted to make a difference in the lives of people and Pokémon.

The grunts were assembled in a large gathering hall within the Team Plasma headquarters. An important informational meeting was about to begin—Dragon hoped it would involve good news for Team Plasma, but that wasn't quite how it turned out.

A man in oddly colored robes stepped up to a podium in the front of the hall. Dragon recognized him as Ghetsis, one of the highest ranking officials in Team Plasma. He often spoke for the leader when he wasn't present, which appeared to be the case now. _If this meeting is important as everyone makes it seem, I wonder why he's not here,_ Dragon thought. _I guess I shouldn't put too much thought into it. He probably has a lot of other business to tend to._

Ghetsis had a slightly distressed look on his face, which worried Dragon. He cleared his throat and gripped a microphone, and then proceeded to speak. "Thank you for attending this meeting. It is gravely important." Ghetsis's voice had a shaky, apprehensive sound to it. "I am here to announce that we are temporarily calling off our current goals and projects."

An outraged uproar rose among the crowd. "What is this nonsense?" someone cried. "Where's Lord N? He would never approve of anything like this!" Dragon couldn't help but feel shocked himself. He knew Ghetsis wasn't done speaking, but this decision seemed very uncharacteristic of Team Plasma. Dragon kept silent despite the rest of the crowd's tumult, eager to hear what Ghetsis had to say next.

Ghetsis raised his hand in an attempt to quiet the crowd, but frenetic conversations still rang through the hall. "Excuse me," he growled in annoyance, "do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?" The room eventually became silent again, aside from the occasional hushed comment. Satisfied, the official resumed speaking. "Lord N couldn't make it today; he's off on a research trip. I can assure you that he fully supports this decision, however.

"Anyway, the whole reason behind this is that we suddenly have a much more important concern in our hands. We recently discovered that we had a traitor hidden among our ranks. Now, this traitor wasn't a lowly grunt or anything of the sort; he was a highly skilled researcher. He was a genius, you could say, and he was particularly gifted in the field of biological engineering. He created some kind of crazy formula behind our backs… he intended to fell our organization with that formula!" Ghetsis paused as if he expected more uproar to commence, but the hall remained quiet.

_What does he mean by a formula?_ Dragon wondered. _The first thing that comes to mind is a method for solving some kind of equation… but that doesn't really make sense in context. Is he talking about something along the lines of a potion? That's crazy… that can't be the answer!_ Dragon's mind drifted off into ridiculous speculation as he waited for Ghetsis to continue speaking.

"Don't ask me about the science behind it, because I know nothing of the subject. But this formula was created to somehow alter the DNA of humans. People injected with this formula are capable of fully transforming into Pokémon… and not just any Pokémon, either. I don't know how he managed it, but he combined his victims with Legendary Pokémon. That's right—I'm talking about the mythical Rayquaza and the elusive Suicune. He literally kidnapped nearly fifty teenagers off the streets and fused each of them with a different Legendary Pokémon. These people possess the powers and strength of the Pokémon they're fused with, so this is nothing to sneeze at. I know, it sounds like something from a bad science fiction movie. But it's completely true, even if it defies common logic. I don't know how this man managed to pull it off, and for the sole purpose of taking down our organization, moreover! I'm not even sure what he intended to do with his victims, which we'll refer to as "hybrids" for the sake of simplicity. Fortunately, we apprehended the crook and dealt with him before we had the chance to find out.

"But our problems don't end there. These hybrids are still on the loose. As I said earlier, the man informed us that he created around fifty hybrid creatures. He said that none of them are aware of what he wanted them to do. We couldn't get him to spit out where he was keeping them, though. Therefore, it is in our best interest that we locate these hybrids. I am tasking all of you with the duty of hunting down these creatures and capturing them. They are a threat to humanity and Pokémon, and we can't afford to have them wandering around the Unova region. They could be absolutely anywhere, and there's no guarantee that they're all together in one place. I'd prefer if they were brought back alive, but if all else fails you have permission to kill them."

As soon as Ghetsis finished speaking, the crowd burst into another frenzied uproar. Dragon couldn't believe his ears. _What the heck is this? This has to be a joke!_ He knew Ghetsis wasn't one to fool around—he had to be telling the truth. It still wasn't easy for him to believe the official's farfetched tale, though.

Ghetsis raised his hand again, and the noise gradually died away. "As we all know, the goal of Team Plasma is to attain the complete separation of humans and Pokémon. I guess this man decided to be wise with us by doing the opposite—literally combining Pokémon and humans." He spoke as if he meant to add light to the situation, but it didn't catch on among the grunts. Unconcerned, Ghetsis continued. "Before I dismiss you, there's one more thing you should be aware of. I've received word that these hybrids are unstable. They change shape against their will. And what makes them even more dangerous is that the mind of the Pokémon they're fused with can randomly take over at times. They're highly unpredictable, so play it smart and don't make any rash decisions when facing them. You must also notice that these hybrids can still assume their human shapes, so pretty much any kid out there could be one of these creatures. If you see anything suspicious, please report it to me or one of the other Plasma officials as quickly as possible."

Ghetsis stepped back before saying, "Good luck, and happy hunting." He exited the hall through a door near the podium, signifying that the meeting was over. As soon as he was gone, the grunts rose and began heading their separate ways.

Dragon was overwhelmed by all this crazy information. Starting today, his main objective was no longer trying to make peace among people and Pokémon. He was now a ruthless hunter whose goal was to capture these strange hybrid creatures, or even kill them if they didn't obey. He felt he wasn't ready for this sudden change in pace, but he would follow his orders without hesitation. Yet at the same time, it still seemed odd that Lord N hadn't been present at this crucial meeting.


	3. Another Journey Begins

Every child in the Unova region anticipates the day he turns ten, for with this age comes a new responsibility. Once a child becomes ten years of age, he may become a Pokémon trainer and partake in the Official Gym Challenge. If he successfully defeats all eight Gym Leaders in battle, he may go on to fight the Elite Four in the Pokémon League. If the trainer prevails in beating them, he can battle the Champion of the Unova region. Once the Champion is defeated, he too gains the rank of a Champion and is entered in the Hall of Fame.

Becoming a successful Pokémon trainer is not an easy task, however. A trainer can't triumph by simply ordering his Pokémon around and expecting them to do his bidding—a bond must first be established between trainer and Pokémon. Trainers must look at their Pokémon as friends, not tools. Friendship, teamwork, loyalty, and trust—these were the fundamentals that made up being a trainer. Unfortunately, not everyone was capable of grasping these concepts.

Today was the start of yet another young trainer's journey. Colby had barely been able to sleep the previous night. Like so many other children, he craved the freedom that came along with being a Pokémon trainer. Above all else, he looked forward to participating in some intense battles. He could already imagine himself commanding his team and annihilating his foes' Pokémon. He couldn't wait!

Colby was already awake and anxious by the time dawn rolled in. His parents had apparently expected this, as they were waiting for him in the kitchen. "Happy birthday, Colby!" they shouted in unison, their voices stretched in exaggerated cheer.

"Our little man's growing up so fast," Colby's mother sighed dolefully to her husband. "Once he sets out on his journey, we probably won't see him again for a long time. It feels like just yesterday he was a baby and I was cradling him in my arms. It's amazing to see how much he's grown."

"I'm sure he'll visit every so often, just like his brother. Isn't that right, Colby?" His father was doing his best to reassure himself and his wife.

"Yeah, sure," Colby replied, itching to receive his Pokémon. He thought his parents were acting just like stereotypical parents in movies and books. Were all parents like that? Colby loved his parents, but would he really have time to visit them anymore? From how he saw it, he'd have a very busy life as a Pokémon trainer! "So, when am I going to get my Pokémon?" He impatiently bounced up and down on the balls of his feet.

"Now is a nice time," his mother responded, smiling kindly. She turned and disappeared into the dining room.

"Dad, is my starter Pokémon from Professor Juniper?" Colby had always read about new trainers receiving their first Pokémon from a famous researcher who lived in Nuvema Town.

"Nope," his father answered, "instead, your brother bred this Pokémon just for you."

Colby's older brother, Brian, had become a Pokémon trainer five years ago. Rather than specializing in battling, Brian had chosen the path of a breeder. He caught and cared for numerous Pokémon, and bred them in attempt to obtain flawless offspring. Unlike most trainers, Brian didn't travel around very often as a breeder. He did go on expeditions every now and again to capture various Pokémon in different environments, but a permanent settlement was required to raise young Pokémon. Much to his parents' dismay, Brian chose to live in the small city of Striaton, which was far away from their Mistralton residence.

"Oh, that's cool." Colby couldn't help but feel disappointed. The prospect of a perfect Pokémon was nice, but he secretly wished that he could've gotten his Pokémon from the professor. If she was as talented as she was made out to be, her Pokémon must be even better than Brian's!

Colby's mother returned with a small box in her arms. It was wrapped in flashy green and blue paper and topped with a big yellow ribbon. A card in a lime green envelope was taped to one side. Colby sprinted up to his mother and giddily took it from her. He zealously ripped off the wrapping paper, flinging strips of it all over the floor. Underneath was a cardboard box, which he tore up in seconds. Sitting upon a bed of sky blue tissue paper was a round red and white object that anyone could recognize immediately—a Poké Ball.

With a huge grin on his face, Colby grabbed the Poké Ball and rolled it around in his hands. This Poké Ball was his! He couldn't believe this day had finally come, and now he wanted nothing more than to send out his Pokémon and find out what it was. Would his parents let him release it in the middle of the house? He didn't care. He couldn't wait any longer!

Colby held his arm out in front of him, the Poké Ball gripped firmly in his hand. He jabbed the white button at its center, and a ray of white light poured out of it. It materialized into a small shape by Colby's feet.

The creature was a quadruped with a stubby tail and legs. It was sandy tan with three thick black stripes wrapped around its body, and a fourth one on its snout. Its belly, which was low to the ground, was salmon colored. Around its eyes was a black marking that resembled sunglasses, or perhaps a bandit's mask. Its snout was long and its jaws were full of tiny but pointy teeth.

"Whoa," Colby gasped, dropping to his knees to get a better look at the little Pokémon, "it's a Sandile! That's awesome!" He reached for the Sandile, but it growled meekly and backed away.

Colby's mother giggled. "The Pokémon Brian picked out for you is so cute! It looks like it could evolve into something powerful, too."

His father handed him the envelope. "You almost forgot about this." Colby sighed and ripped it open. He didn't have time for this! Now that he had his Pokémon, he was ready to start his journey. He pulled out a slip of lined paper that had been neatly folded in half. Unfolding it, he quickly skimmed through the words.

_Hey, Colby! What's up? I'm sorry I couldn't make it for your birthday! I've just been so busy… Anyway, I hope you like the Sandile I bred for you. In case you wanted to know, she's a female. She knows a few egg moves as well. In other words, I bred her to have special attacks Sandile can't normally learn. Along with her standard Rage and Leer attacks, she also knows Fire Fang and Thunder Fang. I'm sure you'll make good use of them! Best of luck to you! I know you'll be a great trainer! I can already easily see you becoming a Champion!_

Judging by the hasty scrawl it was written in, it couldn't have taken Brian more than a few minutes to compose the letter. It didn't matter, since Colby had barely spent any time reading it. He set the paper on the table and held out Sandile's Poké Ball.

The crocodilian Pokémon was standing perfectly still, watching its trainer with inquisitive eyes. It continued to back away when it saw Colby withdraw its Poké Ball. "It's time to return!" Colby exclaimed, pressing the object's white button again. Another beam of light shot out and enveloped the creature, instantly dragging it into its Poké Ball. Tossing it up and down, Colby asked his parents, "Can I go now?"

"I suppose." His mother's voice was tinged with sadness. Colby nodded and headed for the door. He grabbed his dark red bag, which he had stocked with anything he thought would be necessary for his journey the previous night. Slinging it over his shoulder, he grabbed a hold of the doorknob and twisted it open.

His mother waved and said, "Bye, honey. We love you, and don't you ever forget that."

"Love you too," Colby called, stepping outside. "Seeya." He was finally on his own! He strode down the driveway confidently, Sandile's Poké Ball still tightly clutched in his hand. What should he do now? The first and easiest Gym was located in Striaton City, which was where his brother lived. It would be a long trip from Mistralton to Striaton, but he would willingly take it. He'd surely gain tons of experience along the way.

Before he even considered facing a Gym Leader, he'd need to catch some more Pokémon and sort them into a versatile and balanced team. He wouldn't be able to capture any Pokémon if he didn't have any Poké Balls, so he'd need to stop by the local Poké Mart and purchase some. It'd also be important to pick up some Potions and other medicines in case his Pokémon got injured in battle. Oh, heck! All of that could wait. Colby had a Pokémon now, and he just wanted to finally taste the thrill of his first battle.

He headed north of Mistralton, set on hunting for wild Pokémon in the outskirts of the city. Pokémon were most commonly found hiding in tall grass according to what he had read. Of course, Colby decided that would be the ideal place to search.

Looking left and right, he trudged into a large patch of overgrown weeds. Colby shuffled through it noisily without stopping to consider that he was probably scaring away any Pokémon he hoped to encounter. "Man, how come I'm not finding anything?" he muttered to himself obliviously. He then turned his attention to the wide forest that bordered the field. Perhaps he would have more luck if he ventured into it—Colby figured the forest would make a great habitat for all sorts of Pokémon.

He could hear the calls of Pidove in the distance, taunting him and his futile hunt. Other than that, there were no signs of any Pokémon. Even if he did find one of those Pidove, it'd probably fly off before he had a chance to initiate a battle. Colby shook his head hopelessly, and for a second he almost thought about giving up.

That was when he heard the noise.

It sounded almost robotic, like nothing Colby had ever heard before. He could tell that it had been made by a Pokémon, however. What kind of creature could possibly produce that sound? Maybe it was something really rare! Curious and excited, he hurriedly jogged in the direction of the noise. He couldn't let whatever had made it escape.

The sound rang out again, this time louder. He was getting close! He picked up his pace, nearly tripping over thick tree roots and bushy shrubs. Colby could faintly make out an unmoving purple lump in the distance; from where he was, it was hard to tell whether it was rubbish or a Pokémon. As he got closer, its details emerged.

It had a humanoid shape, and it was kneeling with its hands pressed against the ground. Its head was wide and flat, and it had a pair of bulbous red eyes. Peculiarly, the creature's mouth was stretched in a grin even though it seemed to be in distress. The Pokémon's most distinctive feature, however, was a huge, bulky cannon right below its shoulders.

Colby knew an awful lot about Pokémon that lived in the Unova region, especially the ones that resided around Mistralton. This creature didn't resemble anything at all, though. Perhaps it was a Pokémon native to a far off region that someone had callously released into the wild.

Or perhaps, Colby thought, it was a Pokémon that no one had ever seen before.

All he knew was that if he caught it, he'd certainly turn a lot of heads. And Colby loved that kind of attention.


	4. Analysis

Ben would soon discover that turning into Zekrom wasn't nearly as cool as it first seemed.

It was a long story. Basically, Ben woke up in a room among rows of sleeping kids. Shortly after he escaped from the building, he was struck by a weird feeling in his gut. Seconds later, his body began to slowly metamorphose into the shape of Zekrom, one of the mythical dragons of the Unova region. Ben wasn't a big believer in blessings and miracles, but what else could possibly explain his fate?

Ben loved Pokémon. While he had decided not to take the path of a trainer, he instead sought to become a Pokémon researcher. Both of his parents were Pokémon doctors, and their work was what ignited his interest in the creatures. He was amazed by their knowledge of all the types of ailments that could befall Pokémon, and how they knew exactly how to remedy them in most cases. It also made him happy to watch sick Pokémon recover to full health, and so he told himself that one day he'd make a difference in the lives of Pokémon, too.

Occasionally, Ben would fantasize about what it would be like to be a Pokémon. He wondered how it would feel to breathe fire or exhale jets of water. It was hard to imagine something so extraordinary coming as natural to the creatures, and in turn Ben wondered if Pokémon envied abilities humans took for granted, such as being able to write with a pencil or operate a computer. Ben also often found himself thinking about what went through a Pokémon's head in the heat of a battle. Did they enjoy the thrill of the fight? Was that why they obeyed their trainers' every word, or were they forced into it? Was it some kind of instinctual or territorial thing? Maybe now he'd be able to find out.

On the contrary, he felt exactly the same as he did when we was a human. Ben was intrigued—did this mean Pokémon thought like people? Perhaps it was because he had assumed the form of a Legendary Pokémon? Legendary Pokémon were commonly revered as gods due to their incredible power and abnormally high intelligence. If not that, then he theorized it had something to do with how he had changed shape. It seemed that although his physical structure was different, he possessed the same mentality he had prior to his transformation.

Ben's head was buzzing—he was overwhelmed! There were so many things he wanted to discover about the Pokémon he had become that he barely gave himself time to ponder what had caused his change in shape.

He decided to start with something simple. First, he wanted to try taking a few steps as Zekrom. He had fallen onto his stomach during the course of his morphing sequence, and he was still in the same position. Pressing his palms against the ground, he raised his haunches. To his surprise, his huge, conical tail wasn't nearly as heavy as he had expected it to be, as if it was hollow inside. He continued to lift himself up, and when he was on his feet he protractedly erected his back. He flexed his claws in front of his face once he had reached full height, amazed that these powerful weapons belonged to him.

Ben dipped his head and gazed down at his legs. His bipedal stance wasn't vastly different from that of a human, although his legs were noticeably shorter for his size and they were positioned farther apart. He experimentally lifted one of his feet, first bringing up the heel and then his pointed toes. He raised his knee to his belly, and for a heartbeat he stood frozen with one leg in the air. He had to put it down almost instantly to avoid losing his balance.

He then placed one of his feet in front of him and dragged the rest of his body along with it. Ben repeated the process, his steps growing increasingly quicker as he went on. The Zekrom bared his teeth in mimicry of a grin, satisfied with how easy it was to walk in his new form. Now that he had that down, it was time to try something more interesting.

Previously, Ben had never seen Zekrom in his life. However, the dragon was a very popular figure in Unovan mythology, so he still had a wealth of knowledge about it. He knew that it was of the Dragon and Electric types, and that it possessed extraordinarily strong lightning-based powers. Its tail served as a generator, where this electrical energy was produced. Ben wanted to see if he could access this energy and use it to perform one of Zekrom's attacks.

He had no idea how to do this, but he figured it wouldn't be too complicated if it was natural to Zekrom. Ben tensed the muscles in his back, clutching his claws together and digging his toes into the dirt. He could feel heat gathering in his tail, and he curiously glanced over his shoulder at it. It was giving off faint blue light, but it dimmed after he broke concentration. Determined, he tried holding his position for a longer amount of time.

Ben felt as if his entire being was filled to the brim with unbelievable power. His tail was shining brightly like a light bulb, and other patches of his skin were lit up as well. He wanted to keep charging up more energy, but he had reached his limit. Electricity began to crackle from the tips of his claws. He could feel the heat emanating from the sparks and a slight buzzing sensation, but other than that he was unaffected.

Ben threw his arms into the air as he unleashed the stored energy, and an enormous flash radiated from his body with an earsplitting _crack_. Sparks showered down around him, drawn to the ground. The flare of electricity vanished within seconds, awarding Ben with an anticlimactic ending to his effort. Miraculously, none of the sparks caught the surrounding trees ablaze. Ben had always had a difficult time seeing past the present and realizing the consequences of certain choices and actions, but he was relieved nonetheless that everything had gone his way.

_Too bad I don't know how to control it,_ Ben thought. _Oh well, I'll work on that later._ There was something even more interesting that he wanted to test out first. Zekrom was equipped with a pair of powerful wings, and Ben wanted to find out what it was like to fly.

Looking over his shoulder, he gave his wings a flap. It was no different from moving his arms. He beat them harder, and felt a gust of cool air buffet off his back. Ben continued flapping his wings more fiercely and rapidly, hoping he would lift off. When nothing happened, he attempted to give himself a boost by jumping into the air. Instead of falling back to the earth, he remained hovering a few feet above the ground.

Pleased with his success, Ben beat his wings even harder and kicked off with his legs. He was progressively gaining elevation, and eventually he was floating high above the trees. Now that he was free of any obstacles, he wanted to fly forward. He flipped onto his belly and spread his wings, his limbs dangling at his sides. He gave his wings one mighty flap and then let himself glide along the thermals.

It was breathtaking to see the world from that perspective. Everything looked so small from his point of view, which in turn made Ben feel big. Looking down upon the land, Ben felt as if he was free from all of its boundaries and constraints. He was the mythical dragon Zekrom, and he could do as he pleased. Overjoyed, he pried open his jaws and let out a roar of triumph.

He twisted to the side and started to loop before thrusting his upper body downward and letting himself shoot toward the ground. He caught himself in the nick of time, angling himself so he swooped into the sky again. Thrilled, Ben released another loud roar.

As he was now in the shape of a Legendary Pokémon that only existed in myth to many, it probably wasn't the wisest decision to make his actions so showy. Additionally, little did he know that a certain organization was hunting down Legendary Pokémon that made odd or suspicious appearances.

Unfortunately for Ben, his carelessness and inability to think ahead had landed him in the eyes of a particular member of this organization.


	5. Tribulations

To Aurelia, it was just another day.

It all started when her father left when she was five years old. After that fateful day, she never saw him again. Aurelia was too young to understand why and what had happened, and she still didn't know the exact reason today. Her mother made it a point to emphasize that she was glad she "didn't have to look at that bastard's filthy face" anymore, though.

With no one else to turn to, it was her mother's complete responsibility to raise Aurelia and her younger brother as well as tend to a job so she could support them. It was not an easy thing to do, and Aurelia was impressed that she cared about them that much. Surely her mother could've enjoyed a much easier life if she abandoned her children like her ex-husband did, right?

Things only got worse from there. Four years later, her younger brother contracted a deadly disease at the age of six. Despite all efforts to treat him, he couldn't be saved and inexorably passed away. It was only then that Aurelia realized just how special he was to her. Though the two of them constantly fought and butted heads, in the end they were still family.

Then again, the word _family_ had little significance in Aurelia's life. Her father had been family, too. She had always heard that families were supposed to always be there for each other; that they were supposed to show each other unyielding love and support no matter the circumstances. What lies! Where had her father been?

The following year was the year Aurelia turned ten and embarked on her Pokémon journey. She thought of it as an opportunity to throw everything in the past behind her and start a new life. By the time she was thirteen, she had beaten seven of the eight Gym Leaders in the Unova region—she had quickly evolved into a formidable trainer who used her cunning to take down opponents with ease. The final gym was located in Opelucid City; her hometown. Before she went on to defeat the Gym Leader, she decided to pay her mother a visit.

"Mom, I'm home…" she called, opening the door. There was no response. Maybe her mother was out shopping? _Oh well,_ Aurelia thought as she hesitantly walked in. _Even if she's not here, it's still great to be home after all this time._ The house looked exactly as she had remembered, and a feeling of nostalgia rose in her heart. Memories of her father and brother still lingered in the house, but she didn't let herself be bothered by them. She had convinced herself to focus on the future instead of wallowing in the past.

Aurelia was almost immediately met with a putrid odor that seemed to be radiating from the kitchen. She was almost scared to find its source, but her curiosity and concern beckoned her forward. Pinching her nose firmly, she crept into the kitchen.

A wooden bowl was sitting on the counter, its contents nothing more than indistinguishable brown lumps—Aurelia presumed it had once been fruit. But why would her mother leave a bowl of decayed fruit out? Something wasn't right.

Dishes were stacked in the sink, all of them filthy and coated in crumbly white mold. The refrigerator was filled with food that had expired a long time ago. The calendar hadn't been flipped in months. Aurelia grew more and more worried by the second.

"Mom?" she cried, her heart pounding. "Mom!" She flew down the hallway, throwing open doors and frantically scanning the rooms. There were no signs of her mother anywhere—it was as if she had vanished off the face of the planet.

Feeling sick, Aurelia collapsed against a wall. Her mother was the last family member she had left, and now she too was gone. She didn't even want to think about her fate. Just what had Aurelia done to deserve all of this? She was sure that if there were some sort of greater power controlling destiny, it was a very twisted and unforgiving one. If Aurelia were a god, she wouldn't let things like that happen to anyone.

Although Aurelia had learned to stop ruminating in the past, it was hard to ignore what was happening now. Was there even anything to live for anymore? As time progressed, things continually got worse to the point that it became methodical, like a pattern. Why should she expect things to get better?

And they didn't. This morning, Aurelia woke up in a huge room with a bunch of unconscious kids. She had no recollection of why she was there, but she had grown to expect crappy things like that to happen. Undaunted, she simply slipped out of the building and strolled into the surrounding forest. She had no idea where she was, but why did it matter? She'd find out eventually, and then she'd run into an even crappier situation.

"Go, Sandile!"

Aurelia groaned as yet another spirited exclamation rang through the air. She had been trying her best to ignore the sounds and voices—it sounded as if someone was challenging a wild Pokémon, and she didn't want to get in the way. Then again, the trainer probably at least had a general idea of where this forest was located. Surely he could spare a minute or two to tell Aurelia where she was? She decided to give it a shot.

It didn't take her very long to find the trainer and the strange Pokémon he was trying to battle. The trainer looked to be around the age of ten, which meant he couldn't have been one for long. The Pokémon, which she never recalled seeing before, seemed to be scared witless. It was rather amusing to see, as it boasted a tough appearance complete with metal armor and a giant cannon on its back. Aurelia wouldn't have thought the Pokémon would be a good choice for a little ten-year-old to fight, but its behavior said otherwise.

Aurelia nonchalantly strode up behind the trainer. "Hey."

The trainer flinched and whipped around. "Whoa! Who are you?" He glanced at the Pokémon, and then back at her. "Is this Pokémon yours? I'm so sorry!"

The girl wrinkled her nose. "My name is Aurelia, and no, that thing isn't mine. I just wanted to ask you—"

"Phew, what a relief! I really want to catch it. But why isn't it trying to fight? Is it scared of me? Oh, and I'm Colby." The trainer paused. "Hey, do you know what kind of Pokémon this is, by any chance? 'Cause I've never seen anything like it before."

"No, I don't. Now, can I please just—"

"Awesome! I bet it's a Pokémon that's never been documented before. I'd be the first person to train one in the entire world!"

Aurelia was beginning to grow annoyed. Why would this little freak let her finish a sentence? "All right, dude, I'm happy for you. I'll leave you to catch it, or do whatever the heck you want with it, if you'd just help me out here. Can you _please_ tell me where I am?"

"Oh, oh, sorry!" shouted Colby. "We're in a forest north of Mistralton."

"Okay, thank you. Seeya." Aurelia stalked off, mulling over the trainer's response. _Mistralton City, huh? How in the world did I end up here? That's a heck of a distance away from Opelucid. _If she planned on going back, she'd have to traverse through the dreadful Chargestone Cave and pass through the swampy moors that bordered the city of Icirrus again. She hadn't particularly enjoyed those parts of her journey.

"Hey, lady, wait up!"

Aurelia slowly turned around, rolling her eyes. It was that dumb little kid again. "What now?" she growled irritably.

"Uh…" Colby looked down at the ground, "… do you, by any chance, have some Poké Balls you could spare? I forgot to buy some before coming here, and I'm scared the Pokémon will run away if I go to the Poké Mart."

"If it makes you leave me alone, then sure." Aurelia reached for her bag, only to find that it wasn't there. "What the hell," she muttered under her breath. She had grown so used to having the bag on her shoulder that she didn't realize its absence until now. The bag contained her Pokémon as well as all of her supplies, including her Poké Balls. It held her Gym Badges, her Trainer ID—without her bag, she was worthless as a trainer. She noticed that her C-Gear was missing from her arm as well._ Of course, something else just has to go wrong. What am I supposed to do now? Die? That's just great._

"Huh? What's wrong?" Colby tipped his head to the side, unsure of what was going on.

"What's wrong?" Aurelia mimicked, stifling a laugh. "Where should I begin?"

The boy blinked absently. "Uh… does this mean you don't have any Poké Balls?"

"You know what, kid? Why don't you piss off and get your own Poké Balls? It's your own fault you weren't prepared." The young trainer was aggravating her more and more by the second. "I don't know what you did to it, but it doesn't look like the stupid thing's gonna move an inch, anyway."

Colby stepped back submissively. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" he cried. "Can you at least stay here and make sure it doesn't?"

_What's up with this kid? He doesn't even know who I am, and yet he acts like I'm his personal servant or something. I've got better things to do that babysitting that thing… whatever it is. And if it does run away, what does he expect me to do about it?_ "No," Aurelia grumbled emotionlessly.

"Aww, seriously?" the trainer whined. "I helped you, so why can't you help me?"

The kid did have a point. Aurelia had randomly approached him and asked where she was, so it'd only be fair for her to return the favor. But Aurelia didn't feel that watching a wild Pokémon for however long it took Colby to travel to the Poké Mart and back equated to uttering seven words.

"Oh, fine," she murmured reluctantly. _He'd better be thankful for this, that stupid kid._

"Yay, thanks!" the trainer shouted joyfully. "Okay, Sandile: return for now!"

Aurelia watched through narrowed eyes as he called back his Pokémon. She hadn't even noticed that the shy little creature was there.

"Thanks so much! I'll be right back!" Colby shouted as he darted away.

"Don't get lost," Aurelia called, waving flaccidly. Letting out a sigh, she crept closer to the weird Pokémon the boy had his eyes on. "Hello," she greeted in a deadpan voice. "What are you, anyway? And why does that kid want you so badly? You're ugly." With no one else to vent to, she took out her anger on the Pokémon. "Why are you grinning like that? Is your face stuck that way?"

The creature stared at her passively. Aurelia doubted it had any idea what she was saying, which was probably a good thing. "Aren't you gonna do something?" She bent down, getting at eyelevel with the Pokémon. She began poking its face repeatedly. "Hello, anyone in there? You're so stupid, I bet you don't even know how to attack. C'mon, try to hit me. I dare you. Prove to me that you're not a big, metal Magikarp."

Insulting the Pokémon helped bring up Aurelia's mood. The thing couldn't understand her, so there was no harm done, right? It was just a Pokémon, and it wasn't a very intelligent one at that.

Or was it?


	6. Beyond the Legend

There was no mistaking it. Every historical account described Zekrom as a large dragon with a lithe but muscular build, a huge conical tail, and rugged, obsidian scales. No other Pokémon matched that description, which meant Dragon couldn't be seeing anything but the mythological beast. But according to Unovan mythology, Zekrom couldn't possibly be alive in modern times.

The land that would one day make up the Unova region was once tormented by anarchy and constant warfare. It remained in everlasting chaos until a pair of brothers from a faraway kingdom arrived on the back of a Great Dragon. This mighty beast was a complete being with a perfect balance of qualities and power that exceeded human comprehension. Using its inconceivable abilities, the brothers managed to unite the peoples of the land, which led to the foundation of the Unova region.

For many years, the region flourished under the siblings' prestigious rule. Numerous closely-knit cities and towns were established, and the citizens basked in what they thought would be eternal peace. Unfortunately, there came a day when the two brothers began to argue about what they desired in life—the older brother sought truth, and the younger brother sought ideals. Their fights caused the Great Dragon to split apart into two equal but opposite beings, Reshiram and Zekrom.

Reshiram, a dragon as white and pure as truth, sided with the older brother. In turn, Zekrom, an idealistic black dragon, joined the younger brother. The brothers and their draconic companions clashed, but since both dragons were born from the same being, neither could defeat the other. It was declared that neither truth nor ideals were wholly correct.

The issue was set aside, although the two beasts that had spawned from the Great Dragon were unable to recombine. As they were derived from its opposite halves, they fought unendingly and could not unite in an alliance. The Great Dragon had become two separate forces; fire and thunder, white and black, truth and ideals.

The brothers tried their best to maintain their hold on the region, though Unova slowly began to slip into another era of disorder. By the time their sons succeeded them, a civil war ravaged the land. During this period of strife, the entire region was nearly burned to the ground. Many people and Pokémon were lost, and Reshiram and Zekrom's bodies were destroyed prior to the war's resolution.

Upon the conclusion of the war, the monarchy was overthrown and Unova became a republic, which it still is today. Efforts were made to restore the region to its former glory, which were highly successful. Buildings and homes were reconstructed, trees and vegetation were replanted, and people and Pokémon rapidly repopulated.

The dragons were never seen again, and it is commonly debated whether this was for better or for worse. However, there is a legend that the souls of Reshiram and Zekrom live on in the form of stones, and will reemerge in all their former glory upon the rise of a great hero. Due to the popular belief that the reappearance of the dragons would throw Unova into another age of disarray, the stones were supposedly held in protected locations.

In order for what Dragon perceived to be logically correct, a hero would've had to have transpired and revived Zekrom's petrified soul. But if that were true, he was sure we would've heard about it by now. N, the leader of Team Plasma, had taken an interest in the stones for purposes Dragon was unaware of—supposedly, the research trip he was away on concerned them. There was only one possible explanation: what Dragon saw in front of him was a fully transformed Pokémon hybrid.

If this was indeed the case, then Dragon had made an incredible discovery for Team Plasma. Up until then, the grunts had been partaking in a wild goose chase to uncover the location of the hybrids. They had divided themselves up across the entire Unova region, searching every nook and cranny for any sign of them. Dragon had been assigned the land north of Mistralton City, which was pretty insignificant in his book.

Perhaps that had been the traitor scientist's intention. Why would he want to plant himself in a predictable location and have his creations apprehended alongside him? It was a clever plan, although unfortunately for him, it hadn't spared him from his own capture. And now, if Dragon had his way, the hybrids wouldn't be able to escape, either.

The Zekrom was sailing across the sky effortlessly, its wings spread out like a glider. It didn't look like it had a destination in mind; in fact, it appeared to be flying for the sake of amusement. It was soaring in loops, diving towards the ground only to shoot back up into the air as if it was trying to make a show of itself. Dragon found the behavior to be strange.

Ghetsis had said that most of the people used to make hybrids were teenagers, like Dragon. _But if I were in that situation, the last thing I'd want to do is draw attention to myself. That settles it; we're dealing with an unobservant simpleton. In that case, it should be easy to catch._

"It's go time, Archeops," Dragon murmured, withdrawing a Poké Ball. He held it out in front of him, releasing a birdlike creature into the air. Brightly covered feathers covered most of its body, ranging from golden yellow to ocean blue. Its bald head, feet, and tail were a soft red. "_Krrwweeee,_" it screeched happily.

Smiling, Dragon reached to pat its head. Archeops closed its eyes and whistled affectionately. Many people thought it was hypocritical for members of Team Plasma to own Pokémon themselves, though in order to enforce their beliefs upon the Unova region, it was completely necessary. But once they had accomplished their goals, they too would release their Pokémon into the wild. In the meantime, Dragon made sure to treat his Archeops as an equal.

That's what trainers insisted they did—they boasted that the foundation of their relationship with Pokémon was friendship. What lies! What kind of person would drag his friend into battle and force him to hurt others, and get hurt himself? A popular claim stated that Pokémon actually enjoyed fighting and battled for the same reason boxers and wrestlers did—but Dragon knew that wasn't true. Pokémon were naturally nonaggressive creatures that fought only if provoked; for example, it wasn't uncommon for wild Pokémon to partake in skirmishes over territory.

"Okay, Archeops. Do you see that black dragon in the sky?" Dragon asked his Pokémon, still stroking its head. The prehistoric bird nodded and let out a quick caw. "All right, that's good. We need to go after it. Can you help me?"

Archeops purred and swooped onto the ground, spreading its wings. "Thank you," Dragon praised as he climbed onto its back. Once he was on, Archeops cried loudly and took off into the air. Dragon hugged his arms around its neck as it gained elevation and shot towards the Zekrom. With its back turned to Archeops and the grunt, the hulking black Pokémon wasn't aware of their presence. _Perfect._ Dragon grinned in satisfaction.

Archeops slowed as they began to near the dragon. The feathered creature turned its head to look at its trainer expectantly. "Here's the plan," Dragon whispered to it. "I'm not exactly sure how we're gonna go about capturing it, but first we should probably have it grounded. So, I was thinking you could use DragonBreath and aim for its wings. Can you do that?"

Archeops dipped its head and flew a little closer to the Zekrom. Once it was directly behind it, it gaped and exhaled a ray of pink fire. It swung its head from side to side, the flames dancing along with its movements.

The Zekrom roared in pain and surprise as Archeops's fiery breath scorched its wings. It looked over its shoulder and flinched at the sight of the Pokémon and the boy on its back. The dragon hauled itself around and pulled its body upright, its wings apparently still fit for flight.

"Keep going, Archeops!" Dragon encouraged boldly. Archeops shrieked and let loose another fierce DragonBreath. The Zekrom attempted to dive down and avoid it, but in its new position it wasn't able to move in time. The bright magenta buffeted its wings, and it threw back its head and screamed in agony.

It hurt Dragon a bit to see that the Zekrom was in pain, but he tried to convince himself that the creature before him wasn't a Pokémon at all. It was a genetically altered being; something that wasn't supposed to exist outside of science fiction stories. He told himself that if it wasn't dealt with, in the end more people and Pokémon would get hurt. Ghetsis said that the hybrids were violent and unstable beasts that were prone to attacking anything at anytime, but this hybrid wasn't doing anything to defend itself even though it was attacked first.

The Zekrom helplessly struggled to flap its wings, which were badly charred. It was slowly beginning to lose elevation, just like Dragon had wanted. "How about a Rock Slide to finish the job, Archeops?" he suggested.

"_Krrreeeee,"_ Archeops replied. It let out a shriek, and suddenly large boulders rained down upon the Zekrom. The hybrid made a pitiful little noise that resembled a squeak before it was hammered by the heavy rocks.

Dragon watched as the rocks, along with the beast, plummeted towards the earth. "Bull's-eye," he chimed, scratching under Archeops's chin. The birdlike creature purred happily. "Now, let's land and see what we can do."

Archeops descended and landed on the ground close to where the Zekrom had fallen. Dragon hopped off its back and stepped over to the hybrid. Archeops rose into the air again and curiously followed the grunt.

The Zekrom was on its back, and boulders were strewn around its body. A large rock had landed on one of its wings, which had already been injured by Archeops's DragonBreath. Its eyes were closed and its teeth were exposed in a grimace. It seemed to be unconscious.

Dragon turned to Archeops. "Well," he began, "any ideas on how we should haul this seven hundred-something pound dragon back to headquarters?"


	7. An Enigmatic Creature

If she had the nerve, Destiny would've really loved to slap Aurelia across the face. If anything at all, she wasn't doing much to help the situation.

Apparently, Destiny had become some kind of Pokémon. Judging by the two trainers' dialogue, she was a really rare one. And now they were going to try to catch her. In her clueless daze, it was difficult for Destiny to absorb what was going on. But she knew for certain that everything had taken a turn for the worst.

In her crazy mess of frantic thoughts, Destiny still found herself wondering how she had ended up in this disaster. It was one thing after another, and none of it made any sense! She concluded that she wasn't going to solve anything by sitting there and doing nothing. First, she had to deal with these people, whoever they were. And maybe once they were out of the way, she'd be able to hunt for some answers.

What was she supposed to do? Should she just get up and run away? Would Aurelia, who was supposed to be keeping an eye on her, chase her down? Destiny doubted it. The girl's attitude made it pretty obvious that she wasn't happy with the task she had been assigned. If Destiny got away, Aurelia probably wouldn't bother going after her. But if she did remain faithful to Colby's instructions and chased her, Destiny would end up with more trouble than she was already in.

She decided to take the risk. Destiny jerked backwards, startling Aurelia. She unsteadily rose to full height, her legs buckling underneath her—she hadn't expected her upper body to be so heavy. She straightened her legs, trying her best to hold up the weight.

"You finally caught on," the girl taunted, an unimpressed look on her face. "You're really slow."

Destiny let out a quiet growl of annoyance, taking wobbly steps backwards. Even though whatever she had turned into seemed to walk on two legs like a person, its body was set up differently than a human's. Destiny was going to have a hard time getting used to it.

"Ha, I guess you're slow both mentally and physically," Aurelia remarked. "If you're going to try to run away, you should at least make an effort."

Oh, if only she knew! Destiny would've rolled her eyes, but to her surprise they appeared to be fixed in place. She continued taking awkward, lumbering gaits backward, scared to turn her back to the girl. _This isn't going to get me anywhere,_ she told herself glumly. _Let's face it: I'm doomed._ She stopped moving, and her legs began to collapse again. Destiny let herself fall to her knees, and she threw her arms out in front of her to prevent her face from colliding with the earth. She lifted her head timidly, her terrified red eyes locked on the girl.

"Is walking too much work for you?" Aurelia questioned, snickering.

Destiny snarled. If fleeing wasn't an option, her only choice was to attack the girl. Even though Aurelia was acting like a bitch, Destiny couldn't bring herself to hurt her. Maybe she could scare her off? Though honestly, Destiny didn't think she looked liked the kind of person who would scare easily. She figured it was worth a try—there wasn't anything else she could do.

She extended an arm and used it to prop herself up. Once she was on her feet, she began taking shaky steps forward. Destiny held out her arms threateningly, her lavender-colored claws pointed at the girl's face. Destiny created a low gargling noise from the back of her throat. As disgusted as she was by what had happened to her, there was something she was almost beginning to admire about her new shape. Despite how she hadn't quite gotten the hang of her new body, taking advantage of her Pokémon appearance made her feel powerful and intimidating in an animalistic way.

"Oh boy," Aurelia sighed. "What are you trying to do now? Am I supposed to be scared?"

Destiny let out a deep breath. Just as she had thought, it wasn't working. She wasn't ready to give up yet, though. Destiny inched nearer to the girl, and once she felt she was close enough, she lunged at her fearsomely.

Aurelia effortlessly dodged her attack. "Getting feisty, are we?"

Destiny reeled back in frustration. She lashed out one of her arms and swiped at the air in front of the girl's face. Aurelia blinked, otherwise unfazed. Determined, Destiny repeated her action, this time slashing more quickly. The girl still didn't care. Destiny pulled back her arm and prepared to make another move when suddenly a voice rang out.

"Hey, I'm back!" The boy trainer stumbled onto the scene, breathing heavily. "Sorry it took me so long." Colby did a quick scan of his surroundings, and then exclaimed, "Whoa! What's going on? Did it try to hurt you? Are you okay?"

"You're kidding, right?" Aurelia snorted. "This is the single most pathetic Pokémon I've seen in my life. The reason no one's ever seen one of these things is because it's too dumb to live and it's driven itself to extinction. Feast your eyes, kid; this is probably the only one you'll ever see. But if I were you, I'd let the thing go."

Colby was taken aback by her comment. "What? Seriously?" He looked Destiny up and down, furrowing his brows. She was still frozen in place in front of the girl with one of her arms poised to strike.

"Yeah, seriously," the girl retorted. "You should've seen when it tried to attack me—it was the funniest thing."

"Oh. Oh well," the boy mumbled, withdrawing a Poké Ball. He smiled smugly. "If it's as weak as you say, it'll be easier to catch. I don't care how strong it is—if it's that rare, I definitely want to capture it!"

"Whatever floats your boat," Aurelia muttered. "Can I leave now?"

Colby didn't respond. He tossed the Poké Ball over his head, and it smacked into Destiny's shoulder before clattering to the ground. For a heartbeat, Destiny didn't know what to expect. She had absolutely no idea how Poké Balls worked, but she figured she was about to find out.

Nothing happened.

"… The hell…" A subdued look of shock filled Aurelia's eyes.

"Huh." The boy wasn't nearly as surprised. "Maybe it was a dud. No worries—I have more!" He fished around in his bag and pulled out another Poké Ball. "Okay, let's try this again." He hurled it at Destiny, and it bounced off her arm.

Nothing.

"Okay, something isn't right here," the girl said. "There's always the possibility that it's already been captured, but who would leave their Pokémon in the middle of a forest like this? … And who in the world would actually want to own one of these besides you?"

Destiny was confused. Obviously, she didn't already belong to a trainer. Did that mean she wasn't a Pokémon after all? From her understanding, Poké Balls only worked on Pokémon. And if she wasn't a Pokémon, what else could she possibly be?

"That's weird," Colby commented, scratching his chin. "Well, that stinks! I really wanted to catch it."

"That's not important." Aurelia shook her head. "It's probably just a freaky coincidence, but I find it odd that no one's ever seen this Pokémon before, and Poké Balls don't work on it."

The boy shrugged. "It's another trainer's Pokémon, that's all. Whoever caught it sure is lucky!" He began to stroll away as if nothing had happened, but then spun on his heel and faced Destiny and Aurelia again. "Oh, yeah! Thanks again for watching the Pokémon for me!"

"It was a huge waste of time," Aurelia jeered.

"Eh, it doesn't matter. It was nice to meet you, Aurelia! Bye! Maybe if I try hard enough, I'll find a wild Pokémon like that one!" Colby waited for the girl to respond, but she didn't say anything. Destiny glanced at her, surprised that she didn't have a rude remark to deliver. To her alarm, Aurelia was clutching her stomach in pain.

"Huh? Aurelia?" Colby's voice was full of worry. "What's the matter?"

The girl was starting to grow pale. "I… don't know," she grumbled, her face contorted in a grimace. By then, her skin was an unnatural chalky white.

Cold realization crept over Destiny. This seemed all too familiar. The odd feeling in her stomach, her skin changing color—she could only think of one explanation.

Aurelia was beginning to transform.


	8. Paralysis

Ben's ebony wings were raw and charred. His entire body ached, and he could feel heavy weights pressing down on him. He phased in and out of consciousness, his breathing shallow. Black patches swam around his vision. The hapless Zekrom felt too weak to try getting up; he knew he wouldn't be able to lift the weight of his own body.

A voice droned in the background, but Ben couldn't make out what it was saying. He could tell it belonged to the teenager with the Archeops; the one responsible for all of this. The Zekrom resisted the urge to rip the trainer apart. If he hadn't shown up, Ben would still be flying free. He never stopped to consider that his misfortune may have been caused by his own ignorance.

What was he supposed to do now? What did this trainer intend on doing with him? Surely if he wanted to catch him, he would've done so by now. But if that was the case, then why was he still waiting around? Was he expecting someone else to show up? Perhaps the trainer with the Archeops didn't have any Poké Balls, and was waiting for a friend to bring him some.

Regardless of what the trainer was going to do, Ben knew that he needed to get away as quickly as possible; he couldn't afford to be captured. As inquisitive as he was, the young man had never pondered how Poké Balls worked, and he wasn't willing to find out anytime soon. He was sure, however, that being caught would greatly limit the liberty granted by his new form.

There was also something he especially did not like about this particular trainer; Ben wasn't fond of how he had been treating him thus far, and he seemed to radiate a foul aura. These feelings surely could have been derived from the resentment the Zekrom felt towards the trainer after he had beaten him, though.

Ben growled, creating a crackling noise in the back of his throat. He limply lifted one of his arms before dropping it to the ground again. He then tried to curl his back and sit up, but the rocks covering his chest and belly were too heavy. The Zekrom smashed the back of his head against the ground in frustration. _If only my parents were here… _he snarled in his mind, _they'd be able to fix me up good as new. _

Ben gave up hope. He relaxed his tensed body, which became more sensitive to the rhythmic throbbing that pulsed through him. He gazed up at the blue sky in melancholy. _This is where I should be._ The Zekrom gritted his teeth, bile rising in his throat. _How did I end up like this? Why am I even a Zekrom in the first place?_

He closed his eyes for a moment and let out a ragged breath, trying to tune in what the trainer was saying. He was still hopelessly pacing around, and Ben wasn't sure whether or not the trainer was fully aware that he had regained consciousness. The Zekrom noticed he was carrying some kind of device. It took him a second to decipher what it was; a C-Gear set on the Xtransceiver function. So the trainer _was_ trying to contact somebody. Ben swallowed hard, expecting the worst.

"Look, I've been trying to contact Lord N for fifteen minutes now. This is urgent," the trainer spat. Ben crinkled his brow in confusion. Who was this "Lord N"? It seemed like an awfully peculiar name; perhaps it was someone's codename? Not putting much thought into it, Ben continued listening.

"No, I can't speak to just any grunt. This information needs to get to Lord N." Ben assumed that the person on the other end of the Xtransceiver had said something in response; from where he was positioned, he couldn't hear. He attempted to shift his body closer, but the Zekrom was too weak to move even an inch.

"Fine, if that's the case, then I guess I have no choice but to speak with Ghetsis." The trainer's voice had a reluctant tone to it. Whoever this "Ghetsis" was had a rather interesting name as well. Ben repeated the two names in his mind, carefully observing and memorizing what was playing out around him.

After a short pause, the trainer resumed speaking; "Greetings, Ghetsis. I've managed to find and capture a Pokémon hybrid." He spoke straightforwardly with confidence, as if he wanted to get right to the point.

Ben instantly recognized that he was referring to him—but what was a "Pokémon hybrid"? To Ben's understanding, a _hybrid_ was a crossbreed of two different species; Ben had clearly become a full Zekrom. But since he assumed the trainer was talking in codes, he figured that "hybrid" could easily be a substitute for another term. Maybe it had something to do with him being a Legendary Pokémon?

"There's a bit of a problem, though," the trainer admitted, his tone weakening, "the hybrid is unconscious, but it's currently assuming its full Pokémon form. I don't know how to transport it back to headquarters."

The more the trainer spoke, the more confused and intrigued Ben became. What did "full Pokémon form" mean? Was there such thing as a "half Pokémon form"? How did that work out? Ben had never heard of anything like that; but then again, he never guessed that he would've ended up in the shape of Zekrom. He ignored that particular detail for the time being, even though it puzzled him the most.

Another part of the trainer's last reply came across as significant to Ben; apparently, he intended to take him to "headquarters". His wording reminded Ben of something he'd expect to see on TV or in a movie, and distracted him from the bitterness boiling inside of him. In a way, the trainer's conversation excited Ben; it was almost as if he was a secret agent reporting to his boss about a mission. And from what Ben understood, he was the target of this mission. This realization filled the Zekrom with adrenaline; he knew that he was stuck in a terrible situation, but he had to admit the circumstances were pretty darn cool. Ben wished he could get up and kick the stupid secret agent's butt like a movie hero, but obviously he couldn't.

"Oh, right. That makes sense. Well, hopefully it doesn't take too long." Ben noticed that the trainer sounded relieved, which probably meant bad news for him. He bit his lip, unable to deal with not knowing what would become of him. _I guess I have no choice but to wait, _Ben sighed in his mind, _I have to admit I agree with that trainer. I hope this doesn't take too long as well._


	9. Alpha and Omega

"Aurelia, what's going on?" Colby cried, starting to panic. He didn't have the slightest idea what was happening to the girl; he'd never seen anything like this before. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"No, you… idiot," Aurelia growled, her voice gripped by pain. Holding her stomach in one arm, she stumbled over to a tree and threw her other arm around it. Her legs were wobbling, and she probably would've fallen over if it wasn't for the tree's support.

"You need help… I need to do something…" Colby tossed his bag down and dug through it fiercely, even though he knew there was nothing in there that would help her. After he had spilled all its contents on the ground, he fell to the ground hopelessly. He could run back to Mistralton and get some help, but he feared that by then it'd already be too late. There was nothing he could do.

Was Aurelia going to die? If she did, Colby wouldn't be able to live knowing that a girl had died in front of him and he hadn't done anything to save her. He had only just begun his Pokémon journey, and his path was already riddled with tribulations. Why was this happening to him? He had pictured himself starting his journey by battling a few wild Pokémon, and perhaps catching one or two. That's how things should've been—not like this mess he had stumbled into.

Suddenly, Aurelia lost her grip on the tree and collapsed to the ground. She lay on her side, her body twitching. To Colby's alarm, her face was darkening into a slate gray color. And then something even stranger happened—Aurelia's facial features were pulled into her skin, leaving nothing but her eyes and a pair of striations that had formed in the process. Colby couldn't help but squeal and squirm away at the sight. This definitely wasn't natural! It was a frightening thing to watch, and he would've bet Aurelia would be screaming if she only had a mouth. He couldn't imagine how it must have felt to be in Aurelia's position, and he was too scared to put a lot of consideration into the thought. As much as he wanted to run away and pretend he had only been hallucinating, he couldn't bear to leave Aurelia by herself like this.

Aurelia's forehead, which was still snow white like the rest of her skin, jutted out and a strip of gold emerged from its center. Her ears shifted up the sides of her face, stretching into long points that came to resemble horns. These horn-like structures also dipped down to her chin, which now ended in a sharp point. Her hair solidified into a long, mane-like appendage on the back of her head, with the top half white and the lower portion striated gray like her face. Her eyes dilated, her sclerae turning emerald green and her irises red. Circular patches of skin the same color as her sclerae bubbled where her cheeks should've been.

Her neck broadened, latching onto the mane-like appendage. It also lengthened significantly, and two pairs of bony, triangular plates formed from its sides. Aurelia's chest took on the color and pattern of her face and the bottom half of her mane.

Her arms thickened and shifted position until they came to resemble the front limbs of an equine creature. Her fingers molded together and pointed outward, ending in sharp tips that were covered with strips of gold. The same became of her legs.

An odd, yellow growth appeared on Aurelia's back, and it burst into an intricate arc-like structure that wrapped around her belly. An emerald gem glimmered in each corner of the growth. A tail that bore a striking resemblance to her mane sprouted above her rear.

Colby stared, both paralyzed and mesmerized by Aurelia's weird transmogrification. His mind was blank, his sole attention focused on absorbing the strange images that played before his eyes. Once Aurelia was fully transformed, he finally registered what was going on.

"A-Arceus," he choked waveringly, his whole body trembling, "I've been b-blessed by Arceus!"

According to legend originating in the distant Sinnoh region, before the inception of the universe there was nothing but a churning void of turmoil and madness. At the heart of this vortex, where all the chaos radiated, a single egg was formed from the fibers of nothingness. The egg eventually birthed a divine being that came to be known as Arceus, which was also commonly referred to as "the Original One".

With its one thousand arms and its holy powers, Arceus shaped the universe. To help it on its mission, Arceus created two beings from its own body. When one of these beings, a dragon known as Dialga was born, time began to flow. The existence of the second being, a dragon called Palkia, caused space to expand. These two beings prayed, and matter came to be. To balance the young universe, Arceus created a third dragon named Giratina, and its existence brought about antimatter.

At this point, Arceus's power was beginning to ebb. Using its last might, it birthed three living things; Mesprit, Azelf, and Uxie. These three creatures prayed, and spirit began to persist. This became the foundation of emotion, will, and knowledge.

Arceus, satisfied with its contributions to the rapidly expanding universe, accepted its fate. It was now completely drained of power, and it knew it was time for it to die. Thus, it departed from the realm of the living, eternally survived by its creations; the universe, the world, the beings that sprang from its body, and the principles they gave rise to. However, it is rumored that Arceus lives on; either in a severely weakened state, or in the form of a direct descendant.

It is commonly accepted that Arceus looked, or looks, like an equine creature with mostly white skin and a dark gray chest, a long neck, pointy ears, a flowing mane, and a strange, golden arc structure wrapped around its body. And the creature that had once been Aurelia matched that description perfectly, down to the very last detail.

The creature craned its neck, raising its head from the ground. It glanced fearfully at Colby, and then at the purple insect, which was in turn staring at it in shock. Colby rose to his feet, his heart beating a mile a minute. This was incredible! Had the girl who claimed to be named Aurelia really just been the holy Arceus in disguise? Why was he being visited by such a deity?

"_What… just happened._" Colby heard a voice, although strangely, it seemed to be his mind itself rather than his ears that perceived the sound. He knew what was happening right away; Arceus was trying to communicate with him via telepathy. While Arceus lacked a mouth, which rendered it unable to speak, it could transport its thoughts into the minds of others, thereby allowing it to convey its feelings. A number of other exceptionally intelligent Pokémon were capable of doing this, such as the clever Zorua and many mythological Pokémon. A lot of people were actually incapable of telling the difference between telepathy and vocal communication, but Colby somehow had a firm grasp of which was which. Although telepathy instilled the user's words into the receiver's thoughts, the unique voice of the user was retained. Surprisingly, Arceus's speech was in the voice of the girl it had disguised itself as, but Colby didn't put too much though into it.

Colby was lost for words. What should he say to Arceus, the creator of the universe? He figured he'd probably end up saying something that came out as disrespectful, so he decided to keep his mouth shut. Instead, he dropped to his knees and bowed down to the Original One.

Arceus cocked its head to one side. "_Uh… kid? I'm liking this respect and all, but… what the hell are you doing?_"

Colby froze. That certainly didn't sound like something a god would say; or at least the kind of god he believed in. In fact, it sounded like something straight out of Aurelia's mouth. That, paired with the fact that Arceus's words actually came out in Aurelia's voice, began to confuse Colby. "Wait… Aurelia?" he blurted.

"_Yes, what do you want?_" Arceus demanded, its scornful gaze locked on Colby.

"So, let's get this straight," Colby breathed, "you're Aurelia."

Arceus laughed. "_Of course; who else would I be?_"

Arceus was undoubtedly telling the truth, and Colby couldn't believe it. "But you… you just…"

Aurelia rolled her eyes and pulled herself off the ground, stretching her back leisurely. "_Yeah, so apparently I just turned into a Pokémon or something. What difference does it make?_"

Colby's jaw dropped in ridicule. Aurelia had just morphed into a creature resembling the Pokémon that created the universe, and she looked like she could care less. "What… are you?"

"_I'm actually not that sure,_" she replied nonchalantly, "_I'm supposed to be a thirteen year old girl, but apparently that's no longer the case._"

Colby shook his head, not even trying to sort out the situation in his mind. First he encountered a Pokémon that had never been seen before, and then the girl he randomly met up with transformed into Arceus right before his eyes. Was he in the middle of some kind of bizarre dream? Perhaps if he woke up, he'd be able to start his Pokémon journey for real, without running into any crazy events like these.

_Let me wake up,_ Colby desperately begged in his mind, _I need to restart this!_


	10. Altered Destination

The Zekrom groaned sorely, its voice like a dull rumble of thunder. It extended a muscular arm lethargically and weakly clawed at the air. The hybrid peeled back its lips, exposing a set of pearly white teeth.

Dragon could feel a grin creeping up his face. _Finally,_ he thought, overjoyed. Smiling, he turned to face Archeops, who was curiously gazing at the hybrid. "We've waited long enough. It looks like it's time."

The Zekrom's charcoal-colored skin gradually faded into a pale shade of peach. Its tendril-like mane was pulled toward the back of its skull, and it split into strands of thick, chestnut hair. Its face flattened and the spike that crested its snout formed into a human nose. The hybrid's intimidating serrated teeth became dull. Its sclerae whitened and its irises turned a deep chocolate color.

The creature's broad neck shrank considerably, and the pointy spike on the back of it dissolved into its skin. Its wings folded into its shoulders, which were beginning to narrow. Its arms became skinnier and the webbed protrusions that jutted out over its claws melted away. Its heavy claws grew nimble, and two more sprouted from each newly forming hand. The hybrid's pointed elbows became less pronounced.

What appeared to be a black sweatshirt and jeans covered its torso and limbs. The hybrid's body grew scrawnier and less toned. Its legs thinned out and its shins lengthened. White sneakers stretched over its huge feet, which shrank rapidly. Its enormous, turbine-like tail was absorbed into its back.

Dragon held back a snicker. Just moments ago, the hybrid had been in the shape of a menacing black dragon, and now he was reduced to the form of a pale, nerdy looking teenager who couldn't have been any older than him. _It's incredible what science has done,_ thought Dragon, _turning a pathetic little twig into a fearsome monster and back again. It's horrible and yet awe-inspiring at the same time._

"Now, Archeops!"Dragon shouted, throwing out his arm and pointing at the Pokémon. "Grab him by the hood of his sweatshirt!" Archeops screeched shrilly and dove at the hybrid, who seemed to be in a daze and wasn't concerned. The First Bird Pokémon shoved its head into the hybrid and flipped him onto his side before lunging at him and snagging the hood of his black sweatshirt in its jaws. Archeops pulled its head back and tugged the hybrid upright.

"Good job," Dragon praised cheerily. "You can hold him down for a few minutes, right? I've gotta report this to Ghetsis." The Pokémon nodded in response, still tightly gripping the hood in its mouth. _I wonder what that sweatshirt's made out of,_ Dragon thought. _It's a miracle it's so durable._

Dragon brought his left arm, which was where he kept his bright green C-Gear, to his face and opened the Xtransceiver function. He quickly punched in a number, and seconds later an image of Ghetsis flickered onto the screen.

"Has the hybrid returned to normal, Drake?" Ghetsis inquired anxiously, as if he had been waiting for the grunt to call him.

"Yep, that's why I contacted you," Dragon answered. "It's pretty out of it; must've scrambled its brains when I was trying to ground it. It's not struggling or trying to put up a fight or anything, so that's good news. Should I bring it to headquarters?"

"Actually," Ghetsis began, "I'm at a meeting in a building northwest of Nuvema. I'd prefer if you brought it directly to me—I don't want the lousy grunts back at headquarters doing anything stupid with it."

"Nuvema?" Dragon repeated tentatively. "That's pretty far away… you don't think the hybrid will turn into a Pokémon again on the way there, do you?"

"It won't," Ghetsis insisted bluntly.

"Oh, okay," the grunt replied, an uncertain tone to his voice. _Why is he so sure of himself?_

Ghetsis continued, "If you're worried about it, I'd get moving. The building is sort of isolated; it's surrounded by forest on one side, and water on the other. You'll know it when you see it—it has a rather loud green roof."

"Got it," said Dragon, "I'll be there shortly." He bowed his head to the official before switching off the Xtransceiver. The grunt then announced to his Pokémon, "We're going on a bit of a trip. I need you to fly the hybrid and me to a green-roofed building northwest of Nuvema Town. Our hybrid here doesn't look very heavy, so I doubt he'll make this difficult for you. And he's being so well-behaved and calm, too! Maybe Ghetsis will decide to spare him if he keeps being good." The grunt walked over to the Zekrom hybrid and lightly kicked him in the shin tauntingly. The hybrid glared at him hatefully, but remained still.

"You ready, Archeops?" Dragon asked. "Ghetsis said we should try to hurry." Archeops murmured something unintelligible and lowered its back obediently. The Plasma grunt mounted the Pokémon, who then began to ascend toward the clouds. Archeops seemed to struggle at first; it wasn't used to the extra weight pulling down on its head. The hardy creature quickly overcame the issue, though, and was soon soaring in the direction of Nuvema Town.

"Where are you taking me?" the hybrid grumbled all of the sudden.

"Excuse me?" Dragon said, peering over Archeops's shoulder. _He only decides to start talking now?_

"I said, where are you taking me?" he growled, his tone more intense. "And for that matter, what am I? You seem to know a lot about this. Who was that man you were talking to?"

Dragon furrowed his brows. "Shut your trap, hybrid. You're nothing but a piece of prey to me. You don't need any of that information; you just need to be quiet and stay still."

"Hybrid," the brown-haired boy repeated, "you keep using that word when you talk about me. Would it hurt to at least call me by my real name, Ben? And what do you mean when you say 'hybrid'?"

"Shut up," Dragon commanded, "I have no reason to call you by your name, filthy animal."

Ben sighed. "I don't understand why you're treating me like this. As far as I know, I didn't do anything wrong. If all of this has anything to do with how I turned into Zekrom, it's not my fault. I woke up like this."

Dragon didn't respond. He was almost beginning to feel bad for the hybrid; it was true that none of this was his fault. He was a normal teenager with his whole life ahead of him. He didn't choose to become a hybrid—he was turned into one against his will. It seemed unfair that this innocent youth would most likely have to be put to death for something completely beyond his control. Dragon had to remind himself that he was probably doing Ben a favor. There was no way a Pokémon hybrid could possibly fit in with society, so his chance of becoming a successful young man was already ruined. He shouldn't have to go through all the pain and agony of living with his altered body, either. And so many other people would be spared if his existence was eliminated—as a Zekrom, Ben didn't seem very destructive, but Ghetsis said that hybrids could be unpredictable.

"So you're giving me the silent treatment, eh?" Dragon felt as if Ben was trying to stir up a fight—like he wanted to see how long it would take for him to finally lose it. It was no wonder that the hybrid was so edgy—there were a lot of things that Dragon was hiding from him. The grunt didn't actually have a reason for not explaining anything to him, but he decided that he'd be better off without knowing.

The sky was painted with warm shades of orange when the lights of Nuvema Town finally came into view. The hybrid had given up on trying to get information out of Dragon and kept to himself for the rest of the flight. Archeops was starting to look a bit drowsy, and was beating its wings at a progressively slower pace. "Hang in there, Archeops; just a little more to go!" Dragon called. The creature made a soft gurgling noise in reply.

_Now, where is that building…? _Dragon surveyed the land below impatiently. _It's kind of weird that they chose to have their meeting in such a remote location. It seems suspicious; it's like they're at some kind of top secret hideout. Just what is this meeting about, and why do they need to hide from everyone? If it's still going on, then dang, that's one heck of a meeting. I could never sit around and listen to people talk for that long. Honestly, none of this should surprise me. Ghetsis is quite the eccentric man… I wouldn't put it past him to pull off something like this._

Dragon finally caught sight of the green-roofed building a second too late; Archeops had already sailed over it. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?" the Plasma grunt hollered, nearly hysterical.

His Pokémon quizzically glanced at him out of the corner of its eye. "_Mrwwwm_?"

"Weren't you paying attention?" Dragon cried. "You flew straight past it!" As soon as the young man had finished speaking, a realization popped into his head—Archeops were colorblind. Feeling bad immediately, he swiftly apologized to his Pokémon. "Sorry… I guess I let my anger get the better of me. How about you land right here instead?"

Archeops grunted and bobbed its head timidly. It dove forward, its wings spread out wide. It slowed to a halt several feet above the ground and let Dragon slide off its back.

"Great job," the grunt praised, removing Archeops's Poké Ball from his belt. "Return for now, my friend. You deserve your rest!" He held the Ball out on the creature's level, and it was instantly pulled into it. Ben, who no longer had Archeops's support, fell to the ground pathetically.

"On your feet," Dragon ordered, bending over and grabbing a hold of the hybrid's arm. He yanked the boy, who didn't bother to struggle, upright. "Don't even think about trying anything," Dragon warned him, a slight hint of hesitation in his voice. "I have permission to kill you if trouble arises."

"How lovely," Ben mused nonchalantly. "No worries, I'll be good. I'm looking forward to seeing what you have in store for me."

Dragon rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed by the hybrid's indifferent attitude. _Well, I guess I'm glad he's not upset that I'm dragging him off to his doom. I don't know if I'd be able to deal with that. _The grunt began to walk off in the direction of the lurid green-roofed building, pulling the hybrid along with him.

"So, what's your name?" Ben asked curiously. "Can you at least tell me that much?"

The grunt frowned. "My name is Drake, but you can call me Dragon."

"Dragon, eh?" The hybrid chuckled. "What a weird nickname. You'd think it would suit me better, no?"

"Shut up," Dragon scoffed, offended. The grunt had assigned the nickname to himself because he felt that dragons represented power, and he wanted others to see him as a strong person. Unfortunately, he didn't exactly get the reactions he had expected—like Ben, most people ridiculed his unusual nickname, often calling it "lame" or "cheesy". _I wonder what they'll think of me and my name once they find out I captured the first hybrid?_

Ben apparently decided it'd be wise to keep his mouth shut for the rest of the walk, much to Dragon's relief. It didn't take very long for the two of them to arrive at the building. Aside from its annoyingly green roof, the structure gave off an official aura. Its walls were concrete, and a glass door stood at its entrance. A small steel plaque near the door read **P2 LABORATORY**.

_P2 Laboratory? What's that supposed to mean? _Dragon stared at the plaque in puzzlement. _I don't get it. Why would the Team Plasma officials choose to meet in a place like this? I wouldn't have thought that they'd want to associate themselves with some kind of laboratory… what could they be doing?_

"What's the matter?" the hybrid questioned, trying to get a look at the sign.

"Nothing," Dragon answered, "let's go inside." He shoved open the door, half-surprised that it wasn't locked.

The foyer had an empty, desolate feel to it; it was hard for Dragon to believe that the Plasma officials were holding a meeting somewhere within the bowels of the building. The air was usually chilly, as if someone had left the air conditioning on for no reason in particular.

"Interesting place you've got here," Ben commented snidely, studying the lobby's plain white walls.

"I've never been here before. I don't even know what this place is." Dragon trudged into a wide hallway at the end of the foyer. Several doors lined the walls, and the grunt wasn't sure which one led to the room the officials were conferencing in. The hall was silent; Dragon couldn't hear any voices from within the rooms. _Surely I won't get in trouble if I make a simple mistake? It's not like they told me where to go or anything. _

He hesitantly reached for the handle of the first door he came across. The grunt gingerly poked his head inside and found that the room was dim, with the only light source coming from a row of computers. _That's odd. Well, this is a laboratory after all… they're probably conducting research on something that doesn't involve me. Though, I'm still not sure why Plasma would need to do anything like that… it's a Pokémon rights activist group, isn't it?_

Dragon knew he should've turned away and tried another door, but something about this room intrigued him. He wasn't usually one who took interest in the affairs of others, but he felt as if this concerned him directly. He wandered into the room, pulling the hybrid along with him.

_The computers are on, but no one's here… _Dragon bent over in front of one, scanning the words on the screen. Most of what was written was an incomprehensible mess—strange terms that the grunt had never heard on, and what he assumed were codes such as **D132A** and **GMP156**. Dragon couldn't even make out the general idea of what these reports were on. He stood up, his mind buzzing.

Ben raised an eyebrow, suspiciously shifting his gaze around the room. "My guess would be that you don't know what you're doing."

"Of course I don't, you idiot," Dragon hissed. "Like I said, I've never been here before. I'm just as lost as you are. We'd have the same luck if you were leading the way."

"If only," the hybrid sniggered. "I think I'd just mosey on out of here and get back to what I was doing before you decided to kidnap me."

"Nice try, but it won't be that easy." _I'm surprised he hasn't tried anything like that yet. He may be frail, but if he was really desperate there might be a chance that he could get away. Why is he so eager to comply with my orders? Is he afraid of what I'll do if he disobeys me? Archeops did mess him up pretty bad when he was in his Zekrom form… he probably doesn't want to find out what will happen to him when he's a weak little human. _

Dragon suddenly took notice of a sturdy steel door in the back of the room. It was covered in a series of complicated locks, but for some reason they were all unhinged. _Ooh… if there's anywhere Ghetsis doesn't want me snooping around, that would be it. But how come it isn't locked? Why would they go through all the trouble of setting up all those locks if they weren't going to use them? Maybe it's because someone's in there… that can't be where the officials are meeting, can it? _He took a deep breath. _It's worth a shot. What's the worst that can happen? If it's not the right room, I'll leave before anyone can notice. Well, unless someone other than the officials is in there… But we're all on the same side, right? I assume this is a Plasma facility… surely they'd be willing to help me find the right room. After all, I think I hold at least a smidge of authority around here… I captured the first hybrid!_

With a smug grin on his face, the grunt confidently marched over to the door and threw it open indiscreetly.

**[Author's note: **_**Ah, the cliché door cliffhanger… I intended for the ending to be different, but this works best for how I have the following chapters set up. I abruptly changed plans when I was halfway through, so I had to jumble through a bit of a mess to get everything working right. Anyway, sorry for the super long wait! This chapter was giving me tons of problems, so I took a break for several months. I'm still not satisfied with how it turned out… but no worries, I'll probably get around to fixing and rewriting it eventually! For now, enjoy! I'll hopefully be able to return to regular updates, especially since summer's approaching (only nine school days left for me!).**_**]**


	11. Hypotheses

Aurelia was trying her best to hide the incredulity and horror resonating within her. This was just _too_ crazy, even by her standards. Of all the hardships she had encountered throughout her life, this was the only one that impacted her directly. It was also certainly the most unrealistic thing to have ever happened to her; as far as she knew, people didn't turn into Pokémon every day. In fact, the concept was unheard of, not to mention impossible. The prospect of changing into a Pokémon was merely a distant fantasy in the dreams of naïve youngsters.

If that was the case, then what had happened to her? How had she managed to defy common logic and assume the form of a Pokémon? Aurelia wracked her brain for potential answers, and it didn't take her too long to formulate a few theories.

Although shape-shifting was unattainable among humans, there were several species of Pokémon that were capable of accomplishing this feat. The most well known example was a creature called Ditto, which was native to the Kanto region. In its normal shape, it resembled a gelatinous, pale purple blob. However, a Ditto could actually reconstitute its entire cellular structure, in turn copying the physical attributes of another creature down to the very last detail. But in order to do this successfully, a Ditto needed a model of whatever it intended to turn into; otherwise, it tended to confuse certain features. Aurelia hadn't yet taken the time to decipher what exactly she had turned into, but she knew nothing like it had been nearby at the time. Besides, she was pretty sure she'd know if she had been born a Ditto.

With that far-fetched conjecture aside, Aurelia had another, much more reasonable hypothesis. In all the hustle and bustle she had been through today, she had almost forgotten about the strange building in which she had awakened that morning. Finding herself there hadn't bothered her previously, but as time rolled by and details emerged, she began to find it more and more disturbing. Just why had she, and so many other teens, been asleep and lined up for no apparent purpose in a large room within a mysterious building?

She wasn't really sure how this would've had anything to do with her transformation, but she figured it must be related somehow. Aurelia mentally added up everything she knew, trying to form a conclusion; she had woken up in the room with no memory of why she was there, and then a little while later she shifted into a Pokémon. Was it within the realm of esteemed possibility that she had been altered genetically sometime before she had woken up? That couldn't be the answer, could it?

As far as Aurelia knew, genetic modifications such as this did not yet exist in the world. While many advances had been made in field of genetic engineering, such as the revival of ancient Pokémon fossils and the creation of Mewtwo, the transformation from human to Pokémon was simply otherworldly. Or, what if it was in fact possible, but no one had focused on following through with the project due to its impracticality? What exactly would a human hope to accomplish in the form of a Pokémon that they couldn't achieve by training a Pokémon?

In that case, why would someone waste time, money, and resources modifying a random girl like her? If anything at all, wouldn't it have been more logical to experiment on a volunteer? Maybe no one had offered to become a guinea pig, and whoever was behind this madness had resorted to kidnapping a teenager off the street. But why did it have to be her? Was this part of the relentless misfortune that followed wherever she roamed?

Regardless of why she was chosen, she was brought back to the enigma of why someone would want to pull something like this off. No matter how hard she thought, she couldn't come up with a logical explanation. If this project, perhaps, was devoted to discovering a way to create better Pokémon, then why would scientists experiment on a human over a different Pokémon? The lives of humans were more valuable than the lives of Pokémon, weren't they? And Aurelia's life might as well have been over. As a Pokémon, no matter what it may be, her goal of becoming a Unova League Champion had been ruined. That was one of the only things that kept her going in life. What would she have to live for if she was stuck as a creature whose only destiny was to be shoved in a ball and ordered around?

The theory of her transformation being the result of scientific experiments could easily be incorrect, however. In fact, the only reason the thought came to her was because her brother was once obsessed with lousy science fiction movies; movies where cities were terrorized by an enormous Tyranitar, movies where humans were given the powers of Pokémon… Aurelia thought they were the stupidest things and never understood how her brother could be into stuff like that. If he were alive today, he would probably be thrilled about his sister going through something similar to the protagonists in his dumb movies.

A third theory surfaced in Aurelia's mind, this one also relating to her brother's movies. What if the purple insect, which both she and Colby agreed was a creature not normally found in this region, was an alien that harbored a disease that mutated those who made physical contact with it? Aurelia remembered her brother watching a movie where Deoxys invaded the planet and grotesquely morphed those who touched it, and in turn the mutated people would change those who made contact with them. She clearly remembered poking the creature's face several times while trying to egg it on. Colby, however, hadn't laid a finger on it; therefore, he was perfectly fine. Maybe this was the creature's "redeeming" quality. Had her transmogrification been the consequence of her own folly? Aurelia didn't want to picture her downfall as a result of her own stupidity; the thought that this could have been easily avoided made her feel sick.

If this was the case, then was there an antidote? While the details were blurry, she thought she remembered the characters in the Deoxys movie finding something that turned the transformed people back to normal. Did something like this really exist in the world, or was it simply created for the sake of the movie's plot? And if this theory was true, then that would mean that the insect creature was still contagious, and so was Aurelia. Maybe it would be best if they were both destroyed; then, the strain of this disease would never reach the general populous. But it wouldn't be wise to jump to any conclusions; as odd and unfamiliar as it was, the purple Pokémon could be completely innocent and harmless.

Aurelia sighed, shifting her focus to Colby. The boy looked utterly terrified, which made her scoff. He didn't have the right to be afraid. After all, he hadn't been the one who withstood a bizarre transmogrification into some kind of Pokémon. He had merely witnessed it. "_Calm down, kid. You're not making the situation any better,_" she hissed, fed up with both her fate and his panicking.

Aurelia noticed that speaking with telepathy came naturally to her in this form; it was no different than speaking vocally, although it didn't require lip movement and wasn't affected by the condition of her throat. She was glad that she could at least communicate with others; most Pokémon were restricted to making animalistic growls and cries.

Colby stared up at her fearfully, as if he had been intimidated by her last comment. "How… are you not bothered by this?" he asked shakily.

"_You really think this doesn't bother me?_" Aurelia snorted in amusement. "_I've tried to stop letting myself be bothered by things. It hasn't worked. You'd think that someone who was abandoned by her whole family would just realize that her life sucks and get on with it, but alas, things don't work that way. If you really think I'm not bothered by this, then I must be pulling off a pretty decent façade._" Aurelia let herself ramble, drawing out the thoughts circulating within her mind. She didn't care if it was a relevant answer to Colby's question; it just felt good to release her emotions relating to the subject.

"What? … Okay," Colby didn't seem to be following along, which didn't concern Aurelia.

She shook her head, quickly changing the subject. "_Why don't you make yourself useful and tell me what kind of Pokémon I've turned into? You're a trainer, so I expect you know a lot about Pokémon._" 

"You're not going to believe this," Colby began, "well, maybe you are. I don't really know you, so—"

"_Just get on with it,_" Aurelia snarled impatiently.

"You're Arceus," Colby said, free of any emotion.

"_What?_" Aurelia retorted in disbelief. Arceus, the Original One? As in the divine creature that birthed the universe? He had to have been mistaken! Maybe he just meant _Archeops_; their names were uncannily similar. He was just a rookie trainer, and a badly shaken one at that. A misconception such as that wouldn't be too big of a surprise.

"Arceus," Colby repeated, "you're Arceus."

Aurelia gave him a funny look, and then decided to take matters into her own hands. She had completely ignored the fact that she could easily examine her arms to determine what she was; this was probably out of dread or distraction, or perhaps a combination of both. She shut her eyes, lowering her head. When she opened her eyes, she expected to see the brightly colored feathers of an Archeops sprawled out in place of her human arms. But what she saw was anything but that.

Her arms had been replaced by muscular white forelegs with golden hooves where her hands had once been. This matched the recognized depiction of Arceus perfectly. There was no denying it; Colby wasn't mistaken.

She _was _Arceus.


	12. Sympathy

**[Author's note: **_**A new draft of chapter two has been posted! I've made several slight changes that will affect the storyline, so I suggest checking it out.**_**]**

The first thing that caught Dragon's attention was the creature on the table.

Its structure was vaguely reminiscent of a human's, but it also carried several insect-like traits. It was about the size of a middle school student. Its body was a flashy purple color, and it looked to be made entirely of metal. Dragon wasn't completely sure if he was looking at a machine or a monster—it didn't appear to be breathing, and it was lifelessly still.

The creature's large, egg-shaped eyes were menacingly red and its tiny pupils were unfocused. Oval-shaped pits that slightly resembled eyebrows hung over the creature's eyes. Its mouth was stretched in an intimidating toothy grin that looked out of place on its face. Atop its head was a rounded bulge.

Its compact thorax was sandwiched between disk-like shoulders. Two slender, teardrop-shaped arms extended from its upper body, each ending with a single hooked claw. The upper section of the creature's abdomen was narrow and curved outward until it tapered to a point. Its thighs were triangular and plate-like. Though its limbs were humanlike in form, the creature appeared to lack definite knees. Its shins were roughly the same shape as its thighs, and its feet were relatively flat and triangular shaped.

Attached to the purple creature's back was an odd, bulky device. A nozzle-shaped protrusion jutted out over its head; at its tip was a round opening that resembled the mouth of a cannon. It sat atop a curved base that was connected to the creature's thorax by a single angled extension. A thick, yellow piece of plastic was inserted in a slot at the back of the cannon.

The creature lay on its back, its upper body raised due to the placement of the cannon-like appendage. Dragon thought the position looked unnatural, but the creature showed no signs of discomfort. Its arms and legs were chained to the table with steel cuffs.

"What in the world is that?" Ben gasped in bemusement, pulling away from the grunt to get a closer look. "That's not a Pokémon, is it? I've never seen anything like that! It looks more like some kind of robot."

Dragon stared breathlessly, letting the hybrid's arm slip from his grasp. "It can't be a Pokémon," he whispered, struggling for words. There was something highly disturbing about the circumstances that surrounded the creature—it was artificial in appearance, and it was located within a laboratory. It all added up; this creature had been created through science.

Ben stood by the side of the table, studying it fixedly. "Damn, whose idea was it to have it lying on its back? The thing's neck isn't being supported! That could cause some devastating permanent damage. This whole setup seems very inhumane; the critter's strapped to a table for crying out loud! Do they even feed this thing?"

"I appreciate your concern, but none of that is necessary."

Dragon hadn't even noticed the man in the corner of the room. He was sitting in an office chair, casually sipping at a cup of coffee as if he thought watching random teenagers stroll into his room was perfectly normal.

Ben gave him a dirty look. "Oh, is that so?"

"Indeed," the man said. "What you're looking at is a groundbreaking innovation in the world of Pokémon. GMP156 is an artificial creature. While she's not the first of her kind, she's a bit different from most existing manmade Pokémon. GMP156 cannot get injured or feel pain. She doesn't need to eat or sleep. She doesn't have a mind, but she is programmed to function like a normal Pokémon. Team Plasma hopes to revolutionize Pokémon training by building creatures such as GMP156."

_Is this… what Team Plasma has been planning all along? They're going to replace living Pokémon with inorganic ones? It's not necessarily a bad idea, but how are they going to mass produce these things? It must've cost a fortune to build GMP156… something doesn't really seem right…_ Dragon's gaze was locked on the strange, unmoving creature.

"Well, sir, you've really outdone yourself," Ben chimed, his head pressed against GMP156's chest. "I wouldn't have thought it'd be necessary to give an artificial Pokémon a heartbeat. It's faint, but I hear it. The thing's unconscious, it seems." He sighed, taking a step back. "You could've at least tried to come up with a more reasonable excuse. GMP156 here is certainly a living organism. What exactly are you trying to hide?"

Dragon looked from Ben to GMP156 in disbelief. _What's going on? None of this makes sense… if it's not a manmade Pokémon, what is it? I'm pretty sure there aren't any real Pokémon that look like that. And why doesn't this guy care that we just walked in on him? Does he even know what I'm here for? I really don't want to waste any time; there's a chance that the hybrid could turn back into a Zekrom here and now. _Part of him wanted to ask the man where Ghetsis was so he couldjust get it over with, but he also wanted to find out what GMP156 really was.

"You're a bright kid, aren't you?" The man took another sip of his coffee, apparently unfazed. "It was a rather foolish explanation, I must admit. But that was what I was instructed to say if anyone accidentally caught a glimpse of this creature. I could come up with something much better."

"Oh, is this some kind of secret?" Ben questioned grumpily. "Are you with this Dragon kid? He's also hiding something from me. I don't get why you guys feel the urge to be so undercover and secretive all the time, especially when you don't know how to lie properly."

"He's a hybrid," Dragon butted in all of the sudden. "In fact, that's why we're here in the first place. My name is Drake, and I was ordered to bring him here by Ghetsis."

The man frowned. "That's what I suspected. He's meeting in a room down the hall. I can ask him to come here, if you'd like."

_I knew it,_ Dragon thought bitterly. "Okay, that would be great." The man nodded subtly and dialed something into his C-Gear.

"Hold on a second," Ben growled. "What's the deal with GMP156 or whatever you called it? You just changed the subject all of the sudden. I'm actually sort of curious as to what it is. Now that your secret's out, you might as well tell us the whole story."

"Hello, Ghetsis? This is Dudley. There's a grunt by the name of Drake looking for you." The man spoke into his C-Gear, seemingly ignoring the inquisitive hybrid.

"Ugh, forget it," Ben muttered, scowling. "This is ridiculous. People don't even treat me like a human being anymore. I get it; I turned into a Pokémon. But I'm not a Pokémon now, am I?"

Dragon glanced at the hybrid in pity. He was right; everyone acted as if he was some kind of animal. He thought that Dudley was ignoring him for a different reason, however. Dragon felt a bit betrayed; he and Dudley both worked for Team Plasma, so why was he lying in front of him? He mentioned that he had been instructed to tell that fabricated story, but who had given him the orders?

Ghetsis walked into the room several moments later. "Ah, Drake." There was a mixture of emotions on his face. "Well, it's at least good to know that we've got our first hybrid."

Dudley inched back in his chair nervously, as if he wasn't looking forward to whatever was coming next.

Dragon stared at the official blankly. "What are you going to do with him?"

"Well, there aren't a lot of things you can do with a young man who can turn into a Legendary Pokémon. It's far too risky to keep him alive, so our best option is to give him a humane death. Afterwards, we could present his body to our team of researchers—I'm sure they would like to find out how such a fantastical creature functions." Ghetsis lifted Ben's arm and examined it studiously. The hybrid, who looked both horrified and unnerved, attempted to reel away from the strange man. "So this is a real hybrid specimen. I must admit, it's quite incredible that these creatures can exist as humans one minute and Legendary Pokémon the next. What Pokémon is this young man fused with?"

"Zekrom," Dragon confirmed, "one of the mythical beings that once made up the Great Dragon."

"You don't say." Ghetsis let go of Ben's arm. "It's fascinating, and yet disgusting at the same time. Imbuing a mere child with the powers of a long dead god, and expecting him to take down our organization… it's a wonder how someone could think of such a thing."

"Yeah," the grunt agreed softly. He set his gaze on the hybrid, icy guilt encasing his heart. His chestnut eyes were wide and fearful, and he was shivering slightly. Ben had presented himself as a bold and stubborn individual; he managed to keep a high spirit even when he was dangling by his hood in Archeops's jaws. To see him reduced to such a state of cowardice was almost frightening. What made everything worse was that all of this was Dragon's fault.

_What have I gotten myself into?_ Dragon begged himself silently. _I joined Team Plasma because I wanted to help people and Pokémon. What does killing an innocent kid have to do with any of this? _

Ghetsis glanced at GMP156's still body. "Well, I hadn't been intending to let anyone see GMP156 just yet, but I suppose it's too late. Consider it your reward for capturing the first hybrid. She's astounding, isn't she? A fully inorganic creature that acts just like a normal Pokémon…"

"You bastard," Ben snarled. "That story isn't going to work anymore, idiot. GMP156 is alive and you know it. Even that coward with the coffee cup admitted that the whole spiel about it being an artificial Pokémon is a lie."

Dragon flinched at the hybrid's sudden outburst. _What is he doing? Why is he still getting worked up over GMP156? He's going to be killed, for Arceus's sake! You'd think things like that wouldn't matter when you're lying on your deathbed… It's amazing how much he cares about that thing, whatever it is. _

Ghetsis feigned a puzzled look. "What in the world are you saying? Quit playing games, hybrid. GMP156 is—"

Dudley took a deep breath. "Sir, stop. He figured it out; we're the ones who need to stop playing games."

"You can't be serious. How could he have figured out that—" Ghetsis was cut off again.

"It's true; GMP156 is a living organism. She was revived from the fossil of an insect that lived during the Paleozoic Era. This particular creature was an exceptionally skillful and fierce predator. After she was revived, she was given a number of enhancements. These include her metallic exoskeleton and the Photon Blaster on her back." After he had finished speaking, Dudley took another swig of his coffee.

Ghetsis stared at the man in disbelief, not even bothering to utter a word.

Ben gave GMP156 a long stare. "Thank you for telling the truth," he choked, the energy fading from his tone. He staggered backwards as if he had been hit with the realization that he was going to die all over again.

"That doesn't make sense," Dragon thought out loud, his voice coming out in a shrill whimper. "Why would Team Plasma get involved in something like that? I thought we were supposed to be against those kinds of things. Altering or enhancing a Pokémon… that's wrong; that's what Lord N said."

At that moment, a fifth figure entered the room. He strolled in cheerily, his footsteps light and almost dancelike. "I have great news!" he exclaimed obliviously. "My research trip was a complete success! I think I've finally found the missing component of this formula!"

**[Author's note: **_**Hmm, this chapter might stir up some questions… On that note, I'm going to start responding to reviews, which I was too lazy to do before.**_**] **


	13. Human

**[Author's note: **_**Yay for rushed endings!**_**]**

Everything had played out exactly as Destiny had expected. Aurelia had gone through the same stomach churning transmogrification that she had experienced, and had ended up in the form of a Pokémon. However, instead of becoming a never before seen creature, Aurelia had turned into something equally bizarre; Arceus, the deity who had purportedly created the universe.

Destiny honestly wasn't surprised by the elusiveness of the Pokémon Aurelia had taken the shape of; after watching herself morph into whatever this creature was, she decided anything was possible. It all had to tie in with that weird building she had found herself in. Aurelia was undoubtedly one of the other kids she had seen in the room.

She still didn't know what the cause of these transformations was. Destiny remembered seeing the puncture wound in her arm; the point in which the purple coloring had radiated from when she began to change. This probably had something to do with it; had she been injected with some sort of substance that caused her to change? As far as she knew, stuff like that wasn't even possible.

"_Arceus_," Aurelia choked uncomfortably. How was she able to talk? Unlike Destiny, Aurelia didn't have a mouth, and yet she could speak and Destiny could not. The only noises that could come out of Destiny's mouth were unintelligible garbling noises. She was very frustrated with herself; if she was able to talk, she could explain everything to Colby and Aurelia. Everything would be so much more convenient, and the two would no longer think she's a powerless, unintelligent creature. She and Aurelia were suffering from the same problem; if she could communicate with her, maybe they could work together to discover the cause and return themselves to normal.

"Yes," said Colby hesitantly. Aurelia's disturbance appeared to be rubbing off on him; he was terrified to begin with, but seeing the bold and feisty girl reduced to a state of shock tampered with his emotions even more.

"_That's… I don't even know what to think about this_," Aurelia shook her head, her multicolored eyes enlarged with fright.

"Neither do I," Colby responded, his sight averted from the divine creature.

"_Shut up!_" Aurelia snapped, _"Just shut up! You're still a stupid little trainer! You have absolutely nothing to worry about! You might as well just walk away right now and get on with your pathetic little life! Heck, you can go ahead and catch me for all I care! It's not like I have anything better to do!_"

Colby cringed at Aurelia's fiery retort. Destiny thought it was rather uncalled for; the poor kid didn't do anything wrong. She already wasn't very fond of the girl from when she attacked her with a series of insults, and she liked her less and less as time rolled on. If the two of them did start working together somehow, Destiny wasn't sure if she'd be able to put up with her.

Colby furrowed his brows, as if he had absorbed Aurelia's anger as well. He reached into his bag and pulled out a round object—a Poké Ball. _Is he… really going to try to catch her?_ Destiny knew she wasn't being serious, and she was afraid to see what her response to this would be.

"_Bring it on!_" Aurelia yelled brashly, "_Get on with it!_"

"Fine!" Colby shouted, yanking his arm back. He stepped forward, flinging the Poké Ball at the Arceus. It collided with her forehead and dropped to the ground. She blinked impassively, staring down at the spherical object. After several heartbeats, nothing had happened. Destiny noted that the same thing had occurred when Colby had tried to capture her; it must've been linked to their transformations.

"What the heck?" Colby exclaimed, his voice high in pitch.

"_I am God! I can never be captured!_" Aurelia threw her head back, her nearly maniacal laughter echoing in the air.

"What if that's not the reason?" Colby began timidly. "I don't think that's supposed to happen; not even with Pokémon like Arceus. It only happens when you try to catch a trainer's Pokémon, and I know you haven't been captured. I really don't think that new Pokémon has a trainer, either, and the same thing happened when I tried to catch it." Destiny's heart picked up when the trainer mentioned her.

"_You don't know anything about Pokémon, idiot. How would you know?_" Aurelia growled, seemingly back to her normal self. "_What are you trying to get at, anyway?_"

"I don't know," Colby answered. "You'll probably think this is really stupid, but…"

"_What? What is it?_" Aurelia demanded impatiently, as if she suspected what he was about to say.

"… Well, what I mean is that what happened to both of you is really similar. Do you think there's a chance that the Pokémon could be like you?" Destiny smiled mentally; someone had finally gotten the hint!

"_Like me?_" Aurelia repeated. "_As in, a former human?_" Aurelia froze for a moment, and then began laughing loudly again. "_Not a chance! How could you even compare that stupid thing to me?_" Destiny let out a quiet growl.

Colby sighed. "I told you it was a dumb idea. Well, I thought it sorta made sense."

"_Psh, as if,_" snorted the Arceus.

Destiny closed her eyes. She didn't want to put up with this anymore. There had to be _some_ way she could show the two that she had once been a human. Maybe she could try speaking again? Perhaps there had been something caught in her throat earlier. She took a deep breath, and then spoke a single word; "_Wrrrlgh._" Both Aurelia and Colby turned their attention to her, and she felt her face turn hot with failure.

"_What was that for?_" Aurelia questioned in partial amusement.

"Maybe it's trying to tell us something?" Colby suggested.

"_Don't be stupid,_" Aurelia retorted, rolling her eyes.

Destiny wracked her brain for another idea. Maybe she could try writing a message in the dirt? The forest floor was soft and bare of vegetation, making it an optimal place to scrape in words or a picture. She would've normally used a twig or stick to write in the earth, but since she was no longer capable of holding anything, she'd have to resort to using her own hands. Luckily, the creature she had become was equipped with pointy claws; surely they'd work just as well as any old stick.

Destiny began to kneel, her legs wobbling unstably. She pressed her left arm against the ground for support, and extended the other. She started to scratch a word into the dirt with shaky handwriting, and when she was finished she squirmed out of the way so the others could see her work.

"_Wait, what did it just do?_" Aurelia craned her neck, trying to see what Destiny had just done.

"I think it wrote something!" Colby exclaimed excitedly. He walked over to the spot on the ground and crouched in front of it. "Human," he remarked, "that's what it says."

"_You're joking,_" Aurelia coughed.

"I'm not!" Colby cried, "I guess I really was onto something…"

"_I don't get it,_" the Arceus muttered, still wary of Colby's claims, "_that thing hasn't been acting like a normal person should._"

"Well, I don't know," said Colby, "but it's true. Isn't that right?" He turned and looked at Destiny, awaiting a response.

_Yes!_ Joy surged through Destiny's veins as she rapidly bobbed her head in approval.

"_So that thing's been sitting there watching us with a human brain the entire time,_" Aurelia realized, "_that's pretty awkward._"

_That's all she has to say?_ Destiny grumbled in her mind. _No apologies or anything?_

"It is," Colby agreed, turning to face Destiny, "uh… sorry for trying to catch you earlier. I didn't know what was going on."

Destiny nodded in acceptance. _He's not a bad kid, _she thought, glaring at Aurelia, _unlike her. _

"There's still another thing that's bugging me," Colby admitted. "I don't have a clue what you are. Do you know?"

She froze for a second, and then slowly shook her head. She didn't have the slightest clue; but then again, she didn't know too much about Pokémon. She also hadn't gotten a chance to really look at her new shape, but what she had seen didn't match any Pokémon she recognized. It seemed awfully strange to her that neither of the two knew what she was; was it really possible that she was a Pokémon no one had ever seen before?


	14. Controversy

When the brothers who founded the Unova region fought, the Great Dragon that governed the land split into two equal but opposite halves—Reshiram and Zekrom. That's what everyone believed.

They were wrong.

_It was an interesting story. It seemed to reflect the notion of spiritual balance; that black and white make up two parts of a whole; that we are guided by both black and white incentives. In truth, there's more than just black and white. Between the fields of black and white are shades of gray._

The quaint Lacunosa Town was well known for an old folktale that spoke of a monstrous dragon by the name of Kyurem. This dragon was said to have first appeared when a meteor collided with the land northeast of the town, and it dwelled within a massive cavern known as the Giant Chasm. When night struck Lacunosa, Kyurem would emerge from its den, bringing blistering winter winds along with it. It would cast down upon the streets and whisk away villagers who were unfortunate enough to find themselves outside in the dark. Kyurem would then ravenously devour its prey, leaving no scraps behind. For years, the residents of Lacunosa Town lived in fear. They constructed a huge wall around the town and took refuge in their homes once the sun began to set. Kyurem's attacks became less common, and the hysteria eventually died away.

The legend is now thought of as a scary story to keep troublemaking teenagers off the streets at night. The residents of Lacunosa still follow their old practice of staying inside when it's dark out despite how they no longer fear Kyurem. The old myth had integrated itself into the town's customs—and as it turned out, the story may have been more than just a rumor. Like many legends, the tale about Kyurem held some truth.

There was undeniable proof that Kyurem was in fact a real Pokémon. While the stories about the dragon descending upon Lacunosa were thought to be largely fictionalized, there were documentations of explorers vanishing into the Giant Chasm, never to return. There were also multiple accounts of the creature itself—it was always described as a long necked silvery dragon with piercing yellow eyes and ice encrusting its body. Its movements were stiff and awkward, as if its joints had been frozen over. Its jaws were easily capable of crushing an adult. It had stubby arms and small wings that were unfit for flight. Parts of its body looked broken and tattered. It was said to resemble a zombie or an icy skeleton, and was often compared to a cold, empty shell.

Perhaps that's exactly what it was.

_There's a reason why Reshiram and Zekrom were unable to recombine into the Great Dragon; it's because there's a piece missing, and that piece is Kyurem. Reshiram and Zekrom can be seen as two bodies of powerful energy. Kyurem is the vessel for this energy. Of course, that's just a theory. Kyurem is depicted as a man-eating monster—not something that readily comes to mind when the Great Dragon is mentioned. I want to prove this theory, though. I'll do whatever it takes to follow my dream!_

The young man smiled to himself and stepped out of the small plane. His name was Natural Harmonia Gropius (often shortened to N) and he had been destined to lead Team Plasma as its king from birth. He was a very dedicated leader who had big plans for his organization and the world. His most ambitious goal was to completely separate humans from Pokémon—and to do this, he intended to create different worlds for them using the powers of the Great Dragon.

Even though the Great Dragon had broken apart centuries ago, N was convinced that it wasn't completely lost. He had spent the past week researching Unovan mythology, and ultimately came to the conclusion that it might be possible to revive the deity. He couldn't wait to share his findings with the Plasma officials. Upon returning to the Plasma headquarters, he had been informed that the Seven Sages were holding a meeting in a building northwest of Nuvema Town. He immediately arranged a private flight to get him there as quickly as possible.

_To revive the Great Dragon, the first thing we need to focus on is obtaining Reshiram and Zekrom's souls. We'll need to get that out of the way before we even think of finding Kyurem. According to my research, they exist in the form of orbs known as the Light and Dark Stones. Their locations are purportedly kept secret, but I might have a shadow of an idea where one of them is._ N walked into the building, lost in his thoughts.

Following his ears, he soon found himself in a dark room full of computers. He thought nothing of it, and continued into a doorway at the back of the room. N was relieved to instantly make out the shape of Ghetsis, the highest ranking Sage. Several other figures were present, but N didn't recognize any of them.

"I have great news!" he cried, unaware of what had been unfolding in the room. "My research trip was a complete success! I think I've finally found the missing component of this formula!"

The room abruptly became dead silent for what felt like an hour. Ghetsis slowly spun around, a horrified look on his face. "Today is certainly full of surprises, isn't it," he finally said flatly.

N narrowed his eyes. "What?" It was only then that he noticed what was lying on top of the table the people were gathered around. He approached the creature slowly, a dumbfounded look on his face. "What… is this?" N instinctively turned to Ghetsis, who in turn glanced at an unfamiliar brown-haired boy in the corner of the room who looked as if he was about to collapse.

"A genetically modified insect from prehistoric times," the boy rasped. Although his voice was weak, anger smoldered in his tone like hot coals. "That's the truth. Don't believe anything they tell you, because they'll probably try to deceive you."

N backed away hesitantly and pressed his hand to his forehead. "Slow down. What is this place? Who is this boy? Is he telling the truth?"

Before anyone else could answer, a man in an office chair spoke up. "I apologize for the confusion, my lord. This facility is known as the P2 Laboratory because we've been working on developing an entirely new breed of Pokémon, which is what you see here. What the boy said about the creature is indeed correct. It was created in secret because we didn't want to produce hype among the grunts. GMP156 is the first step in the completion of your goal."

"No, this is… wrong! I fail to see how this has anything to do with my dream when this project goes against everything Team Plasma stands for. Do you understand what you have done? You've taken a creature that has been dead for millions of years, forced it back to life, and corrupted its natural form! You twisted this creature and made it impure, and for what? Just what do you hope to have me accomplish with this poor creature, especially when I've unearthed a solution of my own? In fact, that's the whole reason why I'm here. I only wanted to share my findings with the Seven Sages, and I'm greeted with this!" N let his shock and rage spill from his mouth. "Furthermore, why wasn't I informed of this? Not alerting the grunts is one thing, but I'm the king of Team Plasma! If I had known about this, I would've had this project canceled before it was even started."

The man in the chair sighed. "For one, this is exactly how we expected you to react. My lord, you must realize that there is limitless potential in this field of genetic engineering. With the right knowledge, anything is possible. We've already given GMP156 metal armor and a cannon. It no longer requires food to survive. We've installed jet propulsion devices in the soles of its feet so it can fly, but they're not suitable for long distance travel. We're trying to find a way for it to reshape the structure of its body into a sleek design suitable for flight. Once we've accomplished that goal, we may be able to imbue it with the powers of a Legendary Pokémon. GMP156 could become anything you want it to be; the possibilities are endless. While I admit that its treatment thus far has been a bit… unethical, this one tiny sacrifice will pave the way to salvation for thousands of Pokémon."

"No. I won't tolerate any of this," N snarled. "This is a disgrace. You act as if this Pokémon is a toy for you to play with; something that you can mold into anything you want, like a slab of clay. This is a living creature you're dealing with! It shouldn't even be alive in the first place! How do you expect for it to adapt to a modern environment? I won't use this creature as some kind of shortcut to reach my goal. I can get there on my own without corrupting a Pokémon with technology; the only man who would stoop to something so low is one whose views have been clouded by his twisted ambitions. I demand that you cancel this project at once. This creature's soul deserves to be released from its tainted prison."

"What are you saying?" Ghetsis shouted, hysterical. "Are you telling me that this creature should be killed? You can't do that! Do you have any idea how much time and money we've invested into this project? Besides, wouldn't that go against Team Plasma's code as well?"

"All the time and money in the world wouldn't equate to the price of this creature's wellbeing. Just look at it! Do you think it enjoys being bound to that table or drugged into unconsciousness? I can't even imagine what it must go through when you work on your bizarre modifications. I bet this Pokémon has never even stepped outside; the poor creature has never felt the warmth of sunlight, or grass beneath its feet. It knows nothing but the life of a lab rat. It can't simply be released into the wild—I doubt it would know how to survive, and if it did, it could potentially endanger the ecosystem. And of course, we can't keep it cooped up inside a Poké Ball; that's wrong as well. We have no choice but to free it from its wretched shape in the most humane way possible. It is for the best."

When N had finished speaking, something occurred to him; what if GMP156 didn't want to die? It was painful to look at the modified Pokémon's altered body, but was N really making the right choice? He assumed that putting it out of its misery would be the best solution. Was there a way around that fate? Some sort of compromise, perhaps? A life is a precious thing, and once it is gone, it cannot be returned.

**[Author's note: **_**This is a bit irrelevant to the story, but I'm very happy that Genesect has finally been officially revealed. What a great early birthday present (I'll be turning fifteen in four days, if you were wondering)! It's nice to see its official art, but now I might have to go back and slightly tweak some of my sprite-based descriptions of the Pokémon. I'd also like to redo the image I'm using for this story.**_**] **


	15. Reversal

Colby's first day as a Pokémon trainer was becoming crazier by the second, although most of his shock and horror had been converted to intrigue and possibly a touch of wonder. As if witnessing Aurelia transform into Arceus wasn't ridiculous enough, he had now gained the knowledge that the Pokémon he previously had his eyes on used to be a human as well. Why in the world was this happening? Would he turn into a Pokémon, too? Everything was so confusing!

"_Now what do we do?"_ Aurelia questioned all of the sudden. "_We aren't going to get anything accomplished by sitting here. Well, it's not like there's anything we can do, anyway. How exactly am I supposed to fit in with the rest of the world? It just won't work._"

"I dunno," Colby replied with a shrug, "you've got a point there." What could the two humans turned Pokémon possibly do? If they reentered civilization, they'd undoubtedly stir up a storm of trouble. A never before seen Pokémon and a creature with an uncanny likeness to the being that created the universe were sure to attract unwanted attention. The two of them would evidently be captured, and what went on from there was anyone's guess. Would they be put on display? Experimented on? Misused? There was no way for them to take one step out of the forest and remain safe and unbound.

"_Gee, thanks for the help_," Aurelia muttered. "_I sorta wish you could've caught me. At least then I'd be able to get out of this forest one way or another. I mean, how do you expect me to sleep out here? What are we going to do about food?_"

Colby didn't respond, as he was too perplexed by Aurelia's comment about food when she didn't have a mouth. How did Arceus live without eating, anyway? Maybe it didn't need to; it was a godly being, after all.

"_Eh…_" Aurelia murmured, dissatisfied. She was beginning to stand, and she didn't seem very comfortable with her new posture. "_Geez, standing on four legs is really weird._" Colby watched impassively as she strolled around in a circle.

The other creature was watching as well, its red eyes following the Arceus as she moved. It was impossible for Colby to read its emotions; its mouth was upturned in a wide grin as if its face was frozen like that. Its eyes conveyed little sentiment, too—its scarlet gaze was like that of a predator, and it seemed to stare past the faces of those it was focusing on.

The Pokémon's intimidating appearance slightly unnerved Colby, but at the same time he felt sorry for it. It was still a human on the inside; a human he'd never know anything about. He wished he could know its story—who it was before it met this fate. He didn't know its name, or even if it was a boy or a girl. At least Aurelia was still able to fluently communicate after being transformed; this creature was restricted to writing short messages in the dirt and nodding or shaking its head.

"So, what's your name?" Colby decided to ask, turning to the bug-like creature. It looked at him for a moment, and then faced the earth. The Pokémon reached out to begin writing, but before its claw made contact with the ground it let out a low growl and fell forward.

"Huh? Are you okay?" Colby realized right away that this situation seemed oddly familiar; he remembered going through the same thing when Aurelia had started her transformation.

"_What?_" Aurelia came to a sudden halt. She cringed at the sight of the purple creature, which was sprawled out on its stomach with its face pressed against the dirt. "_It's not dead, is it? Because if it's dead, then that probably means I'm going to die, too… that's just perfect._"

"No, it's definitely not dead. I don't know what's going on," Colby responded fearfully, examining the Pokémon. It was still breathing; in fact, its breaths were faster and more stressful. It began to scrabble at the ground wildly before falling still seconds later.

"_Do you have a Potion or something?_" Aurelia asked, barely concerned. "_I don't know if that would do anything to help, since Poké Balls didn't work._"

"Uh… no, I don't…" Colby became upset with himself for neglecting to purchase a batch of Potions while he was at the Poké Mart. Along with Poké Balls, Potions were very crucial items to trainers. It was difficult to triumph through grueling battles without the usage of a Potion or two. And in the event of a dire situation like this, the medicine might be the answer between life and death.

"_Well, it's too late to go and buy some. I guess we're gonna have to wait and see what happens._" Aurelia seated herself a few yards away from the other Pokémon.

Afraid, Colby kept his eyes locked on the creature. Its breathing was becoming progressively slower, and he wasn't sure whether that was a good or bad thing. Colby was sure his mind was playing tricks on him, but the Pokémon's violet exoskeleton looked like it was becoming thinner. Colby rubbed his eyes, trying to expel the image from his vision. When he regained his focus, the creature was in the same state as he had last seen it.

The color was fading from the Pokémon's body, and it was quickly replaced by shades of blue and light peach. The sheen its exoskeleton once gave off lessened, indicating that its body was no longer metallic. The blue areas of its body, which covered its upper body and legs, separated themselves from its skin and gained a fabric-like texture, giving them the appearance of clothing.

Its legs lengthened and became rounder, and its joints became less pronounced. Its feet were covered by what could only be described as shoes. Its elbows ceased to protrude past its upper arms. Its claws unfurled into ten digits, with five on each hand. Its cannon melted into its back, blending with its pale blue shirt.

The creature's abdomen moved up its body, causing its skinny waist to expand. Its shoulders grew flatter, and its neck became broader. Its head contracted and became rounder, and a mane of blond hair erupted from the top. The figure, who was clearly no longer a Pokémon, lay motionless.

"_That totally didn't just happen,_" Aurelia sputtered in denial.

"But… how…" Colby found himself lost for words. The creature had regained its human form, as if Colby's wishes had been answered. Did that mean Aurelia was going to turn back to normal as well?

The girl who had once been the purple Pokémon raised her head nervously and gazed at Aurelia and Colby in fright and embarrassment. Colby thought she looked like she was about to cry. He wanted to say something to the girl, but he couldn't think of anything reasonable to say. She looked too utterly terrified to answer any questions, and Colby wished he could coax her out of her state of shock.

"_I'm not sure which is weirder; the fact that she turned back into a human, or how she's wearing clothes…_" the Arceus cawed.

_Be quiet, _Colby hissed in his mind, _that's not going to help any._ He didn't understand why Aurelia always had to blurt out comments at every waking opportunity. It was as if she wanted the spotlight to be on her at all times—she ignored how there were usually more pressing matters that should be attended to first. She may have taken on the appearance of a deity, but she was essentially still Aurelia; she was no more important than anyone else.

"Are you… okay?" Colby finally said with little confidence. He had let that phrase slip from his mouth so many times that he was beginning to feel like a broken record.

The girl only stared at him, choking back sobs. Annoyed, Aurelia trotted over to her, bending down so she was at the girl's level. "_Okay, why aren't you talking? You should take advantage of the fact that you can speak again. Be thankful that you got to turn back to normal._"

The girl raised her hand to her face, as if she was unaware that she had returned to her human shape. She spun it around if front of her, studying each detail in subdued amazement. She then dropped her arms to the ground, letting out a sharp gasp of relief.

Colby wondered why it took her so long to react to things. Even as a Pokémon, she displayed a highly passive and inert nature. The only time she showed enthusiasm was when she was trying to confirm that she was in fact a human.

"_Geez, did it really take you that long to notice? I mean, couldn't you feel yourself morph? I certainly could!_" Aurelia sneered.

"… Yes," the girl answered uncertainly, her voice flat. Colby was relieved to finally hear her speak. Now that she had gotten ahead of that obstacle, perhaps he could find out more about her. He could already tell she was most definitely a nicer person than Aurelia; she seemed to have a calm temperament, and didn't look like one to throw insults around.

"_Good. Now that we've got you talking, why don't you start by telling us your name?_" Aurelia inquired.

"Destiny," the girl mumbled shyly.

"_Interesting,_" Aurelia scoffed. "_If you didn't already know, I'm Aurelia._"

"My name's Colby," Colby announced brightly, trying to impose a friendly image.

Destiny nodded, twirling her hair around her finger. "I'm sorry, this is just… I don't know."

"_Pretty weird, huh? Well, now that you're you again, you have nothing to worry about. Just put this all behind you and move on. If you go off on your way right now, you can get on with your life and forget this ever happened. I wish I could do the same…_" Aurelia sighed, lowering her head.

"I'm… not so sure about that," Destiny admitted diffidently.

"_What do you mean?_" the Arceus questioned.

"What if… what if it happens again? I don't know why, but I have a feeling this isn't supposed to be a onetime thing."

Aurelia paused. "_… Don't be silly. I don't see how or why you would turn into that thing again. You're just letting yourself succumb to fear._" Colby noticed an unsettling lack of confidence in Aurelia's tone. He practically knew nothing about their transformations and what caused them, but Destiny's hypothesis _did_ reasonable. Judging by Aurelia's reaction, she felt the same about it.

Colby didn't think changing back and forth from human to Pokémon would be that bad of a thing. In fact, it sounded sort of cool to him. Colby would often dream about being a Pokémon, but at the same time he wanted to fulfill his destiny as a trainer. If he could be like Aurelia and Destiny, he could have the best of both worlds.

He didn't understand what the two girls had against being able to turn into Pokémon; there were so many things they could do in their new forms! With the powers they now possessed, they could probably become something on the level of superheroes. Surely if they used their abilities for the good of Unova, they wouldn't attract as much negative attention.

Colby knew that Aurelia and Destiny would never agree to something like that; they were obviously more intent on returning to normal. But if he was in their shoes, he'd take full advantage of his new gift.

"I know," Destiny replied quietly, "I guess you could consider me paranoid. I just really don't want to go through that again… especially when I'm around others. I was lucky enough to have it happen to me in a secluded area, and I don't want to risk having it happen in a more public area. I don't know about you, but I think I'm going to wait here until I can verify that I won't change into that thing again."

"_But that could take ages!_" Aurelia protested.

"I'd rather be safe than sorry." Destiny shrugged.

"_How do you intend on staying alive in this forest, anyway? There's nothing to eat, no shelter… I'm having a hard enough time as it is!_" argued Aurelia.

"Maybe I could help?" Colby offered.

"_What could you possibly do?_" the Arceus coughed.

"I could bring you food and stuff," he answered.

"Yeah, that would help a ton!" Destiny praised gratefully. "I mean, you don't have to, but that would be incredibly kind of you."

"No problem, it's fine!" Colby exclaimed. "Maybe I could also set up a tent so you wouldn't have to sleep outside."

"Thanks, Colby! You're awesome!" Colby enjoyed hearing Destiny's extolment; it gave him a warm feeling inside, as if he was a hero. He'd evidently gain more of this respect if he could turn into a Pokémon… but that was only a distant fantasy. It felt good to accomplish something on his own without the use of a Pokémon's powers, though.

"… _I suppose I might as well wait it out with you,_" Aurelia muttered, giving in. "_My whole life's been robbed from me. I have nowhere else to go, and nothing better to do. I really hope you're wrong about this, Destiny. And more importantly, I hope I at least turn back to normal like you did._"

"So do I." Destiny responded, smiling. "Don't worry; I'm sure I was just letting my paranoia get the better of me. And I'm sure you'll become a human again; if I did, then you will, too. Everything's going to be fine; we'll get through this together."


	16. Broken

**[Author's note: **_**I forgot to mention this during the last update, but chapters one and three have been revised and fused into one chapter**_**.]**

A young N lay on the floor, his gaze affixed to the little train. He enjoyed sitting and watching it glide along its tracks; to him, it was comforting to see it traveling in circles, completing the same motions that it always did.

N's eyes lit up when a man walked into his room, a wriggling brown bundle in his arms. N stood up and excitedly toddled over to him. "Daddy, what is that?"

Ghetsis smiled wordlessly as he bent over and placed the bundle on the ground. The bag squirmed for a moment, and then a small head poked out of it. The creature warily stepped out, curiously sniffing its surroundings. Thick, black hair covered its neck and head, concealing its eyes. A tiny blue muzzle protruded from its messy mane. The creature had a robust body, four thick legs, and a stubby tail.

"This is a baby Deino," Ghetsis told him. "Deino are normally very aggressive and dangerous Pokémon, but this fellow is gentle and calm. He's a bit skittish, though, and he'll bite if he's scared. He's blind, so he might get startled if you touch him suddenly."

N approached the Deino cautiously, taking Ghetsis's words into account. He sat down in front of it, fascinated. "Hello," he greeted softly.

The Deino stretched its neck to sniff the child, and accidentally bumped its face into his shoulder. The creature flinched and quickly drew its head back. N giggled as it backed away timidly, its head held low.

Ghetsis chuckled to himself. "He's being submissive, which is a good thing. He realizes we're in charge, just as it should be." He paused. "Anyway, I wanted to ask if you'd like to help me take care of him."

N was taken aback. "Really?" Ghetsis had let him play with several Pokémon in the past, but at the end of the day he'd take them away. N had never been asked to do anything like this before. "I'd love to!"

"I'm glad you're so enthusiastic," Ghetsis remarked cheerfully, watching the Deino crawl towards N's train set out of the corner of his eye. "You'll be just like a little Pokémon trainer."

N frowned. "A Pokémon trainer? What's that?"

"A Pokémon trainer is someone who raises Pokémon for a living," explained Ghetsis.

"There are people who do that?" N squeaked. "I wanna be a Pokémon trainer!"

Ghetsis grinned. "I'm sure you do. But let me tell you… being a Pokémon trainer isn't an easy job." As if on cue, the Deino pounced on the tracks, causing them to break apart. It batted at the train with its paw and flipped it onto its side.

"Hey!" N shouted, springing to his feet. "Don't do that!" He darted up to the Deino, who was happily gnawing on the toy train.

"Pokémon can be a bit destructive and hard to care for," Ghetsis said. "It looks like the little guy's hungry."

"What does he eat?" N questioned, trying to remove the toy from the Pokémon's jaws. "I hope he doesn't eat trains."

"No, no. I think he'd like a bowl of milk. I'll go fix one up for him." Ghetsis began to walk towards the door. "I trust you'll be okay with him while I'm gone? He's been a good boy so far. I doubt he'll try to hurt you."

"I'll be okay," N assured Ghetsis as he left the room. The train finally popped out of the Deino's mouth, and N held it over his head victoriously. Disgusted, he realized that it was coated in saliva and it had small dents in its sides. He turned to the Pokémon and glared at it scornfully. "Look what you did!"

The Deino whimpered and flattened itself against the ground, frightened by the child's angry tone. N wasn't sure if he liked the Pokémon very much anymore. He turned his back to the creature and dolefully cradled the chewed-up train in his arms. The Deino remained still out of fear that N would yell at it again.

Ghetsis entered the room with a large saucer of milk in his hands, and was surprised to see that N was blatantly ignoring the Pokémon. "What's wrong?" he asked, setting the saucer on the floor.

N sniffled. "He ruined my train." The child stood up and handed the toy to Ghetsis.

The man stared at it absently. "I'm sorry. But as precious as a toy may be to you, it can always be fixed or replaced. I'll see if I can make it better tomorrow." Placing the train on the ground, Ghetsis reached into his pocket and withdrew a small object wrapped in blue foil. He dropped it in N's hand, a smile on his face. "Would a piece of candy cheer you up?"

"Candy!" N exclaimed joyfully, seemingly entirely forgetting about his destroyed toy. He hurriedly ripped off its wrapper and shoved it into his mouth. Ghetsis rarely gave him sweets when it wasn't a special occasion. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Ghetsis's gaze was focused on the Deino, who was beginning to pick up the scent of the milk. Wagging its tail happily, the Pokémon followed its nose to the saucer. It accidentally put its foot down on the side of the bowl, but swiftly stepped back as soon as it made contact with it. It then delicately lowered its head into the saucer.

N rolled the piece of hard candy around in his mouth as he watched the Deino greedily lap up the white liquid. Once the dish had been licked clean, the Pokémon raised its head and belched contentedly. It swiped its tongue around its jaws, wiping off the droplets of milk that clung to its face. The creature then waddled over to the train tracks and plopped down in the middle of them.

"Now that his belly is full, he'd probably like to get some rest. He seems to have taken a liking to your train set," Ghetsis stated.

"I wish he'd stay away from it. It's mine," N grumbled, pouting.

"Like I said earlier, taking care of Pokémon can be challenging. You have to learn to share your time, love, and possessions with them." The Deino, who had curled itself into a ball, was squirming restlessly. "In order to be a successful trainer, you have to treat your Pokémon with kindness and understanding. The Deino is just a baby, which is why he tried to teethe on your train. Since he doesn't have a proper place to sleep yet, he's using your train tracks as a nest."

"Oh," N murmured, sounding disappointed. "I'll try to be nicer, I guess."

"That's the spirit. You'll need to make some sacrifices, but in the end the experience is very rewarding," Ghetsis said. "You look like you could use some sleep as well. Tomorrow you can try to become friends with the Deino."

"Okay," the boy sighed glumly. He trudged up to his bed and climbed onto it. "Can you tuck me in?"

"Of course." Ghetsis picked up N's blanket and set it over him. "Goodnight, Natural."

"Goodnight, Daddy." N watched as the man turned out the lights and left the room. The child yawned and pulled the blanket over his head sleepily. Right as he began to drift off to sleep, he became aware of something heavy pressing down on him. Startled, he fought to throw the blanket off of him. Once he had freed himself, he spotted a dark shape edging towards him. He quickly realized that the Deino had hopped onto his bed.

"What are you doing here?" N groaned, rubbing his eyes. "I thought you were asleep."

The Deino stepped closer to him, experimentally sticking out its head to check how close it was to him. Its head collided with N's shoulder again, and rather than cringing the Deino proceeded to affectionately nuzzle him.

"Hey, what are you doing?" N tried not to laugh. He was surprised to see that the Deino had apparently forgiven him for his outburst. Maybe it wanted to start all over again, just like Ghetsis had suggested. "Do you want to sleep up here? I'm sure it's a lot more comfortable than my tracks."

The Deino let out a happy yip before lying down next to N's pillow. The boy giggled and reached to stroke its bristly mane. The Pokémon purred and flipped onto its back, letting N rub its pudgy belly. N decided that the Deino wasn't too bad after all. He continued to gently pet the creature until sleep finally overcame him.

The next morning, N woke to the sight of the Deino playfully holding his toy train in its mouth. N cracked a faint smile. "You can have it. I don't mind." The Pokémon opened its mouth to chirp gleefully, resulting in the train falling onto the bed. N rolled his eyes. "Do you want me to show you how it works? Follow me!" The boy picked up the toy, slid off the bed, and headed over to the tracks. The Deino clumsily bounded after him, following the sound of his footsteps.

N crouched in front of the train set, noticing in dismay that the tracks had come apart. He snapped them back together and then dropped the chewed-up train onto them. The Deino sat by his side, waving its stub of a tail impatiently. N flipped the train's switch, silently praying that the damaged toy would still work. To his joy, the train started up and slid along its tracks. It rattled slightly as it moved, but N was glad that it could drive at all.

The Deino perked up as it picked up the sound of the train. It trotted over to the tracks and yipped noisily as it began to chase after the toy. N sighed as the Pokémon tackled the train and sent it flying across the floor. "That's not how you play with it," N mumbled. "Well, I guess the way you play with it is more interesting than the way I do."

The Deino scrambled to retrieve the toy, and dropped it in N's lap. The child raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to play again?" The Pokémon stood on its hind legs and let out a high-pitched cry. "I'll take that as a yes." N put the train back on its tracks and chuckled as the Deino rushed to knock it off and fetch it again.

Ghetsis ambled into the room, holding another saucer of milk. He looked pleased to see that N was getting along with the Pokémon.

"Daddy!" N shouted, his eyes wide with excitement. "Look at this game the Deino made up!" He placed the battered toy train on the tracks for a third time and let the Pokémon demonstrate how it liked to play with it.

"Looks like fun," Ghetsis remarked. "The fellow's probably worked up an appetite. How about we give him some breakfast?"

"Sure!" N exclaimed.

Ghetsis put the dish in front of the Deino, who ecstatically began to gulp down the milk. "I forgot to mention that there's more to being a trainer than just feeding and playing with your Pokémon."

"Oh?" An inquisitive expression spread across N's face. "Tell me!"

"Well, they're not called Pokémon trainers for nothing," Ghetsis began. "Another thing trainers are expected to do is prepare their Pokémon for battle."

"Battle?" N repeated, confused.

"Yes. Pokémon are pitted against each other for the sheer purpose of their trainers' amusement."

"Couldn't they get hurt?" N gasped in alarm.

"Exactly," Ghetsis growled, his tone growing dark. "In truth, trainers see Pokémon as nothing more than toys. They care for them and feign kindness, yes, but that's only so they're fit to fight." He suddenly grabbed the Deino, who hadn't quite finished its meal. The creature cried and squirmed as Ghetsis began to forcefully run his hand through its mane. "They don't care if their Pokémon get injured. They don't care if their Pokémon die. They can always go out and find better, stronger ones to replace them." The Deino kicked fiercely as Ghetsis grabbed its neck. "And do the Pokémon protest? Of course not. Pokémon are stupidly loyal creatures that run on instinct and their trainers' commands alone. They're incapable of thinking for themselves."

N whimpered and backed away, frightened by Ghetsis's change in voice and attitude; it was as if he had transformed into a completely different person. He could only stare hopelessly as his Pokémon friend struggled. What was Ghetsis doing? Why was he holding the Deino so strangely?

Ghetsis began to shake violently, a wide grin creeping up his face. "So, you want to be a Pokémon trainer?" he uttered through bared teeth. He shifted his other hand, placing it at the base of the Deino's neck. The Pokémon let out earsplitting shrieks as it continued to fight against the man. An audible crack sounded after a quick movement of Ghetsis's hands, and the Deino's squeals were abruptly cut off. "Is this what you want to become?" Cackling unstably, he shoved the creature in N's face. The Deino's once lively body was limp and unmoving, and its neck was twisted and bent at an unnatural angle.

N fell to the ground, instantly bursting into tears. What had just happened? Why did Ghetsis suddenly start acting scary, and why wasn't the Deino moving anymore? Nothing seemed right; it was like he was in the middle of a terrible nightmare.

Ghetsis tossed the Deino's lifeless body onto the ground, breathing hard. Tears dripping down his cheeks, N kneeled in front of the Pokémon's corpse. He prodded at it frantically, nearly hyperventilating. The creature remained perfectly still. "C'mon," he begged between sobs, holding the toy train up to its nose, "let's play with the train. Don't you want to play?" He set the train on its tracks and hopelessly let it loop in circles.

"Your Deino is broken," Ghetsis snarled, "and unlike your train, he can't be fixed."

**[Author's note: **_**Hey, are we allowed to post links to other websites on here? I'm a bit inexperienced when it comes to this site. My friend and I have been working on creating profiles for all of the characters in PF (complete with illustrations) on the website I originally posted this story on, and I'd like to show them to the very few readers I have…**_**] **


	17. Merciless Fate

**[Author's note: **_**To make up for the extra long wait for chapter fourteen, I managed to finish chapter fifteen very quickly (it's fairly short, though)! Enjoy!**_**]**

Destiny's cheerful visage obscured her true feelings toward working with Aurelia. If she had her choice, she'd avoid the Arceus-girl at all costs. But she decided that teaming up with her was the wisest option—she was stuck in the same situation as her, so perhaps they'd be able to learn from each other. As much as it pained her to admit it, Destiny also longed for company—she didn't want to be left in the woods by herself. Nevertheless, she knew she'd end up as the prime target of the hotheaded and somewhat narcissistic Arceus's insults.

Colby's company reassured her a bit. Thankfully, he seemed like a kind and thoughtful kid, and now it seemed as if he was completely necessary to her survival. Destiny was very grateful for his offer to provide her and Aurelia with food and shelter. Previously, she had been too frazzled to realize just how important those basic necessities were. In her situation, she couldn't exactly go grocery shopping or sleep in her comfortable bed at home. This was the wild, and living off of the environment wasn't exactly something Destiny was accustomed to.

"Should I go get the food and stuff now?" Colby asked, looking from Destiny to Aurelia.

"_The sooner, the better_," Aurelia grumbled, "_I'm starving._"

"Okay!" the young trainer exclaimed enthusiastically. He picked up his maroon bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Don't go anywhere, alright?"

"_Got it_," Aurelia replied. Colby nodded his head approvingly, and then ran off into the jumble of trees.

The Arceus sighed telepathically and then flopped onto her belly. She squinted her emerald green and red eyes, focusing her gaze on Destiny. "_So, what's your story?_" she inquired.

"Huh?" Destiny hadn't been paying attention. "Oh, uh… nothing interesting. I live in Mistralton with my parents. I'm not a trainer; I go to school, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do."

Aurelia stifled a laugh. "_How I wish my life was that simple!_"

The blond girl frowned. "Why? What happened?" She had heard Aurelia mention a few tiny tidbits about her life when she was still stuck as the purple creature, but she hadn't really been listening. _I'm surprised she's so eager to talk about it. If it's as tragic as she makes it seem, I wouldn't want to tell anyone about it._

"_Nothing much… my dad ditched me and the rest of my family, my little brother died, and my mom vanished._" The Arceus spoke with strong contempt. Destiny imagined that she'd be grimacing if she had a mouth. "_I've been abandoned by my entire family. And now the only thing I've had to live for, Pokémon training, has been stolen from me as well. I'm starting to wonder why I still cling to this pathetic existence. Burning in Hell would be just as enjoyable._"

Destiny couldn't bring herself to feel sympathy for the ill-fated Arceus. The way she forcefully uttered her words made it seem as if she sought pity—more fuel for her unflatteringly large ego. Destiny didn't think Aurelia's unfortunate past gave her the right to treat others badly and demand attention at all times. She tossed it around as if it was a mere excuse—Destiny was tempted to believe that she actually made it up for that reason. But then again, she didn't really know what she'd been dealing with. Up until now, Destiny's life had always been perfectly normal. Maybe all these traumatic events really did do something to Aurelia's brain.

"Get over it," Destiny muttered under her breath, not even realizing what she was saying.

Aurelia glared at her coldly. "_What was that?_"

Destiny was startled by Aurelia's tone of voice. She had almost forgotten who she was dealing with—Aurelia was Arceus, a fabled Legendary Pokémon often thought of as the creator of the universe. If Arceus really lived up to its legends, it inevitably possessed insurmountable powers that would straight-out obliterate a human like her. Offending Aurelia to that extent would most likely be a fatal mistake.

"I didn't say anything," Destiny lied, trying her best not to sound frantic.

"_Is that so?_" Aurelia's icy gaze was still glued to the girl's face. "_I _know _I heard you say something, and I didn't like what I heard. And you're trying to tell me that you didn't say anything at all?_"

"So, uh… your mom vanished? What do you mean?" Destiny desperately tried to move on, intimidated by the Alpha Pokémon's coldness.

Aurelia's tone was a lot less friendly than before. "_That's exactly what I mean. She disappeared. I came home one day, and she was gone. And it wasn't like she was out shopping or anything; I could tell the house hadn't been tended to in weeks, months even. I tried to contact her on my Xtransceiver, but she wouldn't answer. The last time I heard from her, she told me about how she found a new boyfriend. I never got a chance to meet the guy. I'm starting to think he's the reason she vanished._"

"So you think she ran off with him?" Destiny questioned.

"_Of course not, unless she also decided to throw out her C-Gear while she was at it. My mother would never do anything like that. My bet is that she was murdered, or perhaps worse. I don't even care anymore. I mean, what difference does it make? It's not like I'm ever going to see her again._"

"Oh," Destiny said meekly, her head down. She tried to at least appear sympathetic; perhaps then Aurelia would forgive her for her rude comment. "There's still a chance that she's okay, right?"

"_Nope_," Aurelia replied bluntly. "_She's as gone as my father and as dead as my brother. Why should I even bother trying to comfort myself with faith and wishful thinking? The only thing I'll accept is the cold, hard truth._"

"But you can't confirm that she's really dead, can you?" Destiny wasn't sure of what to think of Aurelia's reasoning.

"_If I convince myself to think that she's fine, I'll just be more disappointed in the end when I find out she'd dead. It's not worth it._" The Arceus stared at the sky absently. "_It also isn't worth it to think that being Arceus is a temporary thing, or that I'll return to my normal life. I'm destined to spend the rest of my life living in this godforsaken forest, and so are you. We just need to accept it and move on._"

Destiny furrowed her brows. Just minutes ago, Aurelia was convinced that turning into a Pokémon was a onetime thing. It had been Destiny that brought up the theory that they'd continue to switch back and forth between human and Pokémon forms. What made Aurelia change her mind so suddenly? _Easy; she wants pity. _

"Why are you so pessimistic? You're already taking my theory to heart? For now, neither of us can confirm nor deny that we'll continue to transform. That was just a wild guess; I'm almost completely positive I'm wrong."

"_You still haven't gotten it, have you? Looking on the bright side of things is a waste of time. The world is a cruel place; it's more logical to accept that something bad is going to happen. That's why my father left us. That's why my brother's dead, and my mother's gone. That's why you turned into that bug-thing, and I turned into Arceus. Fate is out to punish all of us._"

"But good things happen too, right? Colby's getting us food and shelter right now. That's good, isn't it? It sure beats sleeping outside in the rain, or foraging for food in the forest that may or may not be edible."

"_Fate likes to comfort us with little things like that. Then it proceeds to laugh as everything else blows up in our faces. Besides, we wouldn't need to rely on that kid for food and shelter if fate hadn't turned us into these monsters._"

Destiny sighed. Trying to make Aurelia see things positively was futile. _I guess it's safe to say that her past experiences really did mess her up. That or she's sickeningly hungry for pity. Either way, it's sad._ The girl almost wanted to convince herself to believe that their transformations wouldn't continue, just to prove Aurelia wrong and show her that there were some wholly good things in life. In a situation like this, optimism was crucial. Why even bother fighting if life was cruel and meaningless? Destiny convinced herself that this misfortune was just one little roadblock on her highway of life. _I won't give up,_ Destiny told herself. _I'll stay strong, no matter the circumstances. I don't care what Aurelia says; I'll overcome these difficulties and move forward. _


	18. Salvation

N stared into GMP156's empty red eyes, trembling as he desperately tried to fight back his conflicted feelings. _Why was I chosen to lead Team Plasma? Why does this decision have to be left up to me?_ The king's forehead was beginning to sweat. _Everyone looks up to me; they expect me to do what's right. With this problem, there are no right answers. I can't read this Pokémon's mind. I can't know what it thinks would be best._

"My lord, that's just not possible. We can't afford to throw out everything we've put into this project. Even if you don't personally want to use it, it can be put to other uses. I beg of you, my lord; GMP156 can't be killed. I understand that you don't approve of its treatment, so if it pleases you we can put an end to its alterations. I assure you that it won't be a threat to the environment." The man in the office chair gripped his armrests, his voice wavering with anxiety.

N averted his sight from the creature. "You went off and created GMP156 without my consent, so this is the price you're going to pay. After all it's been put through, this creature deserves salvation. I don't think I can trust your claim that it will successfully adapt to the environment. Considering that you've been hiding all of this from me, it seems like a thin attempt to convince me to agree with you." He winced at his own words, still unsure of what he wanted to do. "Listen. I need some time to think this through. I want to be alone for a bit."

Ghetsis and the other man exchanged nervous glances, and suddenly a strangled cry erupted from the brown-haired boy in the corner. He scrabbled at the walls furiously as he fell to the ground. The grunt who had been standing next to him quickly stepped back in alarm.

"Arceus," N gasped. "Somebody help that kid!" The boy had appeared to be in a stupor ever since N entered the room. _What happened to him? Why is he here? He can't be a grunt; he's not wearing a uniform._

Ghetsis bit his lip. "There's not really anything we can do."

"What are you talking about?" N exclaimed, racing over to the boy. He stood over him worriedly, noticing that his breathing was becoming slower. _Oh, Arceus! What am I supposed to do? I'm not a doctor!_

The boy struggled to lift his head and uttered, "Get back. Now."

N unquestioningly backed away, puzzled. To his disbelief, the boy's skin began to darken into a thick slate color. Rugged scales rippled across his body and his face bulged outward, forming a large snout. "What is this?" N cried, terrified.

"We shouldn't have waited so long," the grunt murmured, cringing at the sight of what had once been the brown-haired boy. He turned to N, a confused look on his face. "He's a hybrid, and he's transforming. Why does this come as a surprise to you? Ghetsis said you approved of us hunting down the hybrids."

"What in the world is that supposed to mean?" N glared at Ghetsis coldly. "I've never heard anything about this. Is this some kind of joke?"

Ghetsis swallowed hard. "It's true. I've been hiding both of these things from you. I realize you're the leader of Team Plasma, but I was the one who gave you the throne. I know you better than anyone else; I raised you from birth. I know how you think, and I knew your responses to both of these problems would be unfavorable. I thought it would be best if you didn't know about these things. I knew you would find out about them eventually; it's hard to keep things hidden from a king. But I thought we'd have these things sorted out by then, or we'd think of a way to change your mind."

"Do you honestly think that gives you the right to do these things behind my back and lie about me?" N snarled. He still hadn't been given an explanation of what "hybrids" were, but at the moment he could care less. "I'm the king, and it is my duty to oversee everything that Team Plasma does. If you wanted to decide what Team Plasma does, you shouldn't have sworn me in as the ruler. You're not my father, and you never were. You don't have authority over me. This is completely unacceptable."

The boy's body became bulkier as he continued to metamorphose. His nose hardened into a pointed crest, and his hair pulled together and extended into a mane-like appendage. His teeth lengthened and sharpened. Rocky bumps burst from his shoulders, followed by a pair of powerful wings. His fingers shaped into monstrous claws and webbed formations stretched over them. His legs shortened and his feet swelled as his toes were replaced with tough claws. A massive cone-shaped tail sprouted from his rear.

Once he had finished transforming, he dazedly rose to his feet. He growled irritably as his head hit the ceiling, and then grumpily hunched his back. He stared down at the others, flexing his claws and gnashing his teeth.

"Great Arceus," N gasped, nearly falling over in shock. "That boy… he just turned into Zekrom!"

"Yes, that's what hybrids do," Ghetsis explained, relieved that N had changed the subject. "A traitor created them to destroy Team Plasma. They may look like normal kids at first glance, but they are capable of changing into Legendary Pokémon at random times. That's why we're trying to get rid of them. I think you might be able to understand our intentions, as they're quite similar to your complaints about GMP156. These hybrids have been corrupted, and they will no longer be able to live like normal humans. They also have destructive tendencies, and will most definitely end up hurting other people and Pokémon."

N gazed at the Zekrom, a chill creeping down his spine. Mesmerized, the young man barely absorbed any of Ghetsis's words. _A human transforming into a Pokémon, and a mythical one at that… it's surreal, like a dream. What is it like to transition from the form of a defenseless human to a living embodiment of absolute power? What is it like to see from the eyes of a mighty dragon, to feel limitless energy pulsate through your body? It must be fascinating… but it shouldn't be possible. This isn't right at all._

The Zekrom glanced around warily, grimacing. "_If I'm going to escape, now's the time. But how can I get out of here without causing a scene?_"

"You're using telepathy," the grunt pointed out, removing a Poké Ball from his belt. "We can hear what you're thinking."

"_I am?_" The Zekrom froze. "_Crap. Well, that's not good._" He turned around and gave the wall a powerful kick. Rubble showered onto the ground as a gaping hole formed. "_Screw that. I guess it's time for Plan B._" He ducked down and struggled to squeeze his large body through it.

"Go, Archeops!" the grunt yelled as a feathered Pokémon emerged from the Poké Ball. "I know you're exhausted, but I need you!"

N watched the scene blankly. So much had happened in that short span of time since he entered the room, and he was starting to get overwhelmed. Moments ago, he had been discussing GMP156's fate with Ghetsis and the other man, and now it seemed as if the creature had faded out of existence. GMP156 was still perfectly motionless, oblivious to the danger around it in its drugged state.

"Use DragonBreath!" the grunt commanded. The Archeops let out a sharp cry and opened its maw, exhaling a jet of blue fire. The hybrid roared thunderously as his backside was scorched and scrambled to fit through the opening. He finally freed himself and took off into the wilderness. "After him!" the grunt shouted before disappearing into the gap with his Archeops.

N stared at what was left of the wall, not sure of what to think. He shook his head, planting his hand against his face. "This is ridiculous." He looked over at GMP156, a bitter feeling rising in his heart. "I'll try to sort all of this out later. For now, I just want to settle this issue with GMP156. Please leave so I can have some time to think."

"Yes, my lord." The man rose from his chair and shakily walked out of the door. Ghetsis shot N a dirty look before following him into the hall.

For once, the room was silent.

His head spinning, N stepped over to GMP156's table. He hovered over the creature and gently slid his hand across its forehead, which was very cold to the touch. "Please wake up," N cooed, "I'd like to have a talk." To his dismay, the creature remained still. _If GMP156 regains its consciousness, maybe I can get it to understand the situation. Until then, there's nothing I can do but wait._

"Come on," he coaxed, feeling powerless. He pulled a small piece of candy out of his pocket and dangled it over GMP156's face. "Do you want some candy? It's my favorite kind." N suddenly remembered that the creature couldn't eat. Frowning, he shoved the sweet back into his pocket. "What can I do to convince you to wake up?" The Pokémon didn't respond.

N sighed hopelessly. _This isn't getting anywhere. GMP156 is definitely out cold._ He reached to scratch the creature's chin, when all of the sudden its dual pupils snapped into focus. GMP156 took one look at the king of Team Plasma and started thrashing violently. It thrust its thorax into the air and kicked madly, as if it were caught in a night terror. It screeched horribly as it fought against its constraints.

"Whoa," N gasped, caught off guard. "Please calm down! You're going to hurt yourself!"

GMP156 didn't listen. It screamed at the top of its lungs, its voice like metal grating against metal. It smashed its head against the base of its cannon and twisted its body fiercely.

"Please," N begged. He placed his palm on the top of GMP156's head, attempting to comfort it. It shook viciously as it tried to throw off N's hand. The young man pulled his arm back despondently. _GMP156 obviously isn't very happy. But if I were bound to a table like that, I would be pretty miserable myself._ He glanced at the gaping hole the hybrid had made in the wall. _I'd let it out, but then it would escape. That's the last thing I want to happen._

The creature's shrieks gradually grew quieter, and its movements less frenetic. Exhausted, its breath rapidly whistled through its closely spaced incisors. N gave GMP156 a friendly smile. "That's a good girl," he said softly. N didn't know what gender the Pokémon was, but he thought he had heard the man with the coffee refer to it as a female.

GMP156 tiredly lifted its head, studying the Team Plasma leader with its unblinking red eyes. "_Wrrllghhh,_" it choked.

"Yeah, that's right. I'm so sorry about this, GMP156." N froze. "You don't even have a name, do you? Just a jumble of letters and numbers… that isn't right." He wracked his brain for a decent name. _A genetically modified insect… what about "Genesect"? That's pretty uncreative, but it's better than nothing. _"I'll call you Genesect. Do you like that?"

Genesect crowed quietly, rotating its shoulders.

N chuckled to himself. He then frowned, almost forgetting that the creature's fate rested in his hands. His tone grew dark. "Genesect, I want to know what you think is best. Do you enjoy living in this laboratory? Do you like what you've become? Or do you want to be set free from your altered shape peacefully?"

Genesect stared past the young man, not even processing what he was saying. It longingly gazed at the crack in the wall, and began struggling again. It jerked its body to the side and slid its arm towards it, and to N's surprise it popped out of its cuff. Now that it was partially free, it released its other arm with ease.

"Genesect, what are you doing?" the leader of Team Plasma cried. _That wasn't supposed to happen… but at least it won't be able to fit its feet through the cuffs._

Genesect raised its upper body and stretched to claw at the cuffs around its legs. "No, stop!" N yelled. He fearfully tried to push the creature back onto the table, only for it to angrily slug him in the chest with the side of its arm. N staggered backwards, realizing in horror that there was nothing he could do to prevent Genesect from escaping.

Tiny slivers of metal drifted onto the table as Genesect desperately dug its claws into the cuffs. Once they had been weakened, the Pokémon kicked in frustration and they broke apart. Completely free, Genesect slid off of the table.

"Don't," N wheezed, his back pressed against the wall. "Please, Genesect."

The creature glared at him as it took awkward steps toward the hole. Its upper body was hunched over, as if it couldn't support the weight of the cannon on its back. It moved at a slow, wobbly pace, like it was walking for the first time. N watched wordlessly as Genesect crept out of the building.

_What have I done?_ N slumped to the ground in defeat. _This is all my fault._ He could only imagine the consequences of releasing such a dangerous creature into the wild. Even worse was that Genesect didn't appear to be able to fully handle its strength, nor did it seem to know how to properly function as a living creature.


	19. Encounter

Colby leisurely ambled through the forest, a carefree smile on his face. Most of the initial shock he was met with when he first learned of Destiny and Aurelia's powers had faded away, and his mind was now set on the great responsibility he had to fulfill. _Their lives depend on me!_ He wasn't really bothered by how he still hadn't been given the chance to truly start his journey as a Pokémon trainer—helping the two girls was much more important.

He couldn't help but wonder why and how they could turn into Pokémon. Neither Aurelia nor Destiny could provide an explanation for their transformations. They seemed just as clueless as he was. Colby found it odd that he had just happened to run into two people possessing the same ability. It probably all tied in somehow…

"I've scanned the perimeter of the forest, and nothing seems abnormal. Are you sure he said he found the hybrid around Mistralton? Well, I'm heading in. Wish me luck."

Colby froze, his sight diverted to a figure in the distance. _Who is that? Maybe it's a trainer looking to battle, _he thought hopefully. _I'm sure Aurelia and Destiny wouldn't mind if I took a few extra minutes. _He withdrew Sandile's Poké Ball from his bag and began to walk forward assertively.

The figure, an absurdly dressed blond teenager who looked as if she had sprung from a fantasy novel, quickly caught sight of Colby. "Wait a second, I see someone. I think he's just a trainer passing through, but maybe I can get some information out of him." Colby noticed that she was speaking into a C-Gear.

_There's something weird about this girl. I don't know what she's talking about, but it doesn't seem normal… _The young trainer came to a hesitant stop a few yards away from the uniformed girl. He sheepishly raised his voice. "Hello? Are you looking for somebody?"

The girl lowered her C-Gear, a grin cutting across her face. "Yes, as a matter of fact I am. And that someone might just be you!"

Colby's jaw dropped. "What are you talking about?" he cried frantically.

Ignoring the trainer's hysterical response, she gleefully pulled out a Poké Ball and readied it in front of her. "Rise and shine, my beauty!" A ray of yellow light shot out of the object and materialized into the shape of a large, furry insect. The creature was primarily yellow with splotches of purple and indigo, and it had six crystal blue eyes.

Colby was taken aback. _I guess she was just looking for a battle after all! _He held out his Poké Ball, his tension beginning to loosen. Before he had the chance to send out his Sandile, the girl fired a command at her Pokémon.

"Alright, Galvantula! Fence him in with Electroweb, please!" The Pokémon silently crawled closer to the boy before releasing a thick strand of electrically charged thread from its mouth. The sticky substance wrapped around the trees adjacent to him, trapping him inside a makeshift electric fence.

"What the heck was that for?" Colby exclaimed, furious and confused. "Let me out!"

The girl sat on the ground, smirking. "Sorry, can't do that. Don't bother trying to escape; if you touch that web, you'll be fried." Galvantula strutted over to its trainer and rested its head in her lap. "Now, I have some questions for you. If you cooperate, I'll let you go. Are you ready?"

"Questions? What kind of questions?" Colby's voice was full of unease. _She's interrogating me? What in the world is going on?_

"Oh, nothing much." The girl rolled Galvantula's Poké Ball around in her hands. "Well, I think it's safe to assume you aren't a hybrid; I heard they had their Pokémon taken away from them. A few days ago, we were the ones taking away people's Pokémon…" her voice trailed off. "So, I want to ask if you've seen anything suspicious lately. I'm surveying this area because there have been reports of abnormal activity."

Colby blinked. "What do you mean by suspicious?"

The girl began petting Galvantula's head. "It's a long story, but I'll try to make it quick. Basically, this nutcase decided to take it upon himself to create an army of teens with the ability to transform into Legendary Pokémon because he wanted to take down our organization, Team Plasma. He kidnapped random kids off the streets and turned them into Pokémon hybrids. The man behind all of this was captured, but his creations are roaming free. We Plasma grunts have been assigned to hunt down these creatures, since they're an obvious threat to society. One of them, a Zekrom, was found flying over this forest. You haven't seen anything like that, have you?"

"N-no," Colby stammered, anxiety rippling down his spine. He had no idea what the grunt planned to do with the hybrids she was after, so he knew right away that it wouldn't be a good idea to mention his new friends. _This isn't good… what am I supposed to do?_

"You sure about that?" Galvantula's trainer leaned closer to the web of electricity, a taunting grin on her face.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Colby lied, forcing himself to sound sincere. "Today's my first day of being a trainer, and I came here to look for wild Pokémon." He suddenly realized that he could potentially take advantage of the situation he was in; this girl seemed to know a lot about whatever had become of Aurelia and Destiny. _They'd probably like to find out the exact details of what happened to them. Since there's not much else I can do at the moment, I might as well try to get more information out of her._ "That's insane! How did that guy even make those things?"

"All I know is that he injected them with some kind of formula," the Plasma grunt replied. "I didn't think things like that were possible. I guess I was wrong."

"A formula?" Colby repeated, interested. Despite how he was now aware that some organization was apparently hunting down hybrids, his naïve mindset still hungered for the power to morph into a Pokémon. Judging by what the grunt had said, Destiny's theory was correct; hybrids were able to transform back and forth between human and Pokémon. That was bad news for her and Aurelia, but it made being a hybrid even more appealing to Colby. _I wish there was a way for me to get a hold of that formula… if only that dude chose to use me for his project!_

"That's what I said," the girl muttered. "Anyway, I guess there's not much else I can do with you. I'll let you out, but I advise that you leave this forest immediately. You may not have encountered anything strange yet, but you're probably just lucky. These hybrids are fused with Legendary Pokémon and can be unpredictable; a rookie trainer like you is no match for them. You might want to try looking for Pokémon elsewhere if you want to avoid being torn to shreds."

She eyed her Galvantula, who was beginning to doze off. "Cut down the web with Slash and let the kiddo out." The EleSpider Pokémon lazily strolled up to the nearest side of the fence and sliced at it with its forelegs. The two halves of the sparking web parted, creating a safe path for the boy.

"Okay, I'll be on my way," Colby announced nervously as he began to walk away from the grunt and her Galvantula.

The girl gave a friendly smile. "Best of luck with your Pokémon journey," she called, "because when this mess is over, we'll be coming after trainers like you!" Colby watched in horror as she stood up and headed off in the direction he had come from. _Oh, no… she's going to walk right into Destiny and Aurelia! _The boy's heart began to pound. _I can't let her see them… but what am I supposed to do? I can't go after her; she warned me to leave, so if I went back that way, she'd probably suspect something! This is bad… _He wracked his brain, desperate to come up with some sort of plan.

The grunt and her Galvantula had already become mere specks in the distance. Colby had never felt so helpless before; Aurelia and Destiny's lives depended on him, and he had let them down.


	20. Confessions

Ben found himself struggling for breath as he fled from Dragon and his Archeops—it soon became clear to him that Zekrom's burly body wasn't built for speed. He panted fiercely, his throat growing raw. To his enragement, he could hear Archeops's shrill cries becoming louder and louder; the two were gaining on him. He snarled grumpily as he pressed forward, trying to quicken his pace.

_How did I get myself into this mess?_ Ben still didn't have a complete idea of why he was being chased. He wished the men from Team Plasma could've at least explained why he possessed the ability to turn into Zekrom; it made no sense for them to hide it. Ben hated the feeling of not knowing something. _I wonder if I would've stood a chance if I tried to escape earlier. Heck, what am I saying? I'm Zekrom; now's my best bet. The only problem is that I'm still a human on the inside. I haven't adjusted to being in Zekrom's body, and it feels unnatural._

"Give up now, hybrid!" Dragon bellowed. "You can't outrun me; you're already beginning to slow down. You're only making things difficult for yourself."

Ben came to an abrupt stop. He turned to face the Team Plasma grunt, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. Dragon was right—there was no way he could escape. "_I just don't get it,_" he sighed hopelessly. Ben hadn't been aware of his ability to speak through telepathy until his little slip-up in the P2 Laboratory. He still wasn't sure what had triggered his normal thoughts to become audible, but it worried him slightly. _Knowing the things I tend to think about, I'll undoubtedly end up sharing something embarrassing. _"_You know what? I'll let you capture me if you explain what's going on. Please, Dragon, this is all I ask of you._"

The Team Plasma grunt slowed to a halt, and Archeops swooped down next to him once it noticed that its trainer had stopped running. "How should I know if I can trust you?" Dragon inquired, staring up at the panting Zekrom.

Ben bared his teeth. "_After everything that happened in the laboratory, do you really think I'm going to lie to you? If it wasn't obvious, I hate when people trick and deceive each other. I should be the one worrying about someone keeping their word. You Team Plasma people seem like a pretty dubious lot._"

Dragon sighed, as if something were secretly bothering him. "To be honest, I'm not sure who I can trust anymore. Everything is coming as a shock to me… I thought Ghetsis was a respectable member of Team Plasma. I can't believe all of this stuff was done behind our leader's back. I don't even know if I'm doing the right thing now; it was Ghetsis who issued this assignment."

"_Is Ghetsis the creepy guy with the eyepiece? He's pretty suspicious looking to begin with. I wouldn't want to run into him in a dark alley._"The Zekrom wrinkled his nose. "_And I take it the kid with the long hair is the leader? That's surprising; you'd think it would be the other way around. Team Plasma is pretty messed up, by the looks of it._"

"Yeah, that's right," said Dragon. "I've heard that they're father and son, but I don't know if that's true or not. I'm also not sure why Lord N is the king of Team Plasma. He raised a good point when you were transforming; if Ghetsis wanted to do all these crazy things, he should've made himself leader. Maybe then I would've avoided this mess entirely."

"_It would make sense if they were related. I was wondering why they both had green hair,_" Ben snorted. "_So, his name is "N"? Is that short for something?_"

"His real name is Natural," Dragon told him dully.

Ben produced a growling noise that resembled a chuckle. "_Natural? Geez, poor kid. That's even worse than "Dragon". Definitely sounds like something that Ghetsis creep would name his child._" He froze once his laughter had faded away. "_As interesting as this Team Plasma stuff is, I'm still waiting for you to explain what the heck is wrong with me and why Ghetsis wanted you to hunt me down._"

"All right, fine." Dragon rolled his eyes, seemingly annoyed with the hybrid. "A scientist betrayed Team Plasma, and he decided to create an army of humans who could change into Legendary Pokémon to try to destroy our organization. Instead of gathering up volunteers, he kidnapped a bunch of teenagers, and you were one of them. He injected you with this crazy formula that fused you with Zekrom. We captured the scientist, but we couldn't find any of you hybrids; it should be pretty clear why we're set on capturing them. I somehow ended up catching the first hybrid, which was you, of course."

Ben kept silent for a moment. "_Is that so? Well, I can sort of understand the guy's intentions—Team Plasma certainly deserves to be shut down. But that's a little extreme, isn't it? Why in the world would you drag random kids into something like this? Why would anyone think it'd be a good idea to fuse a bunch of teenagers with Legendary Pokémon? I can't imagine what would happen if some of the kids I've met were given that much power. And all of this was because he was angry at a silly little organization? Scientists are supposed to be intelligent people; I'm sure he could've formulated a much more realistic strategy._" He wondered if Dragon was actually telling the truth. The hybrid thought he sounded sincere, but he also thought that Team Plasma was untrustworthy in general. _Unless he's faking it, he's already shown that he's not on the same side as Ghetsis and Dudley. If he's faking it, he'll be sorry._

Dragon shrugged. "I'm just as confused as you are. Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

"_Well, there's something I'm a bit curious about,_" the Zekrom admitted. "_How do you feel about this whole hybrid hunting business? Even if it's not what your leader wanted, do you think it's the right thing to do? What are your thoughts on the hybrids in general?_"

Dragon lowered his gaze to the ground. "I don't know what to think anymore."

Ben waited for the grunt to say more, and frowned when he didn't. "_Is that the best answer you can give me? You're not making a lot of sense. When we first met, you seemed pretty eager to take me down, but now you seem a bit more hesitant. What I don't understand is why you're still trying to capture me. Why would you want to finish a mission Ghetsis gave you? There has to be a reason for this._"

The Team Plasma grunt glared at the hybrid. "You just want me to let you go, don't you?"

Ben shook his head. "_No, no. I'm genuinely confused. Please enlighten me._"

Dragon looked away from Ben. "Look. There's a chance than N might want you captured. You saw how he reacted when he found out about GMP156; he'll probably feel the same way about you. Ghetsis was right when he compared that Pokémon to the hybrids."

"_Whatever you say,_" Ben muttered. There was something strange about the way the grunt was acting; maybe he really didn't know what he was doing. It was also possible that he didn't know how to express what was on his mind. Dragon was a quiet, reserved person, and he only spoke if he needed to. It probably wouldn't be an easy task to get him to share his feelings, so Ben decided it wasn't worth the trouble to try. "_I guess that's all I wanted to hear. Now, for my end of the deal… let's go see if you're right about N._"

Dragon let out a deep breath. "Good. Let's get moving." He flashed Ben a distrustful glance before turning and walking back towards the laboratory. "You'd better not try anything. Archeops will be keeping an eye on you." The Pokémon shrieked and glided up behind the Zekrom.

Ben made a grumbling noise as he began to follow the grunt. "_I can't believe you still think I'd do something like that. I understand why you'd want to be skeptic, but c'mon! What can I do to make you trust me? You should know how I act by now. I haven't fought back or tried to run away once._"

"Oh, you think so?" Dragon had a mild look of amusement on his face. "What do you call busting out of the P2 Laboratory? Don't give me any excuses; I could hear what you were thinking."

Ben gritted his teeth. "_Okay, you win. But that was one time, right? I didn't fight back when you were trying to knock me out of the sky, and I didn't struggle when you were dragging me to the laboratory._"

"Well, I hope you're being honest. Even if you're not, I'm still at an advantage."

"_I ought to learn how to put Zekrom's powers to use. I figured out how to fly and harness electricity, but it's not easy. Your Archeops makes everything look so simple._" He looked over his shoulder at Dragon's Pokémon. "_How in the world do you do it?_"

Archeops released a hostile growl and fluffed the feathers around its neck. _Even his Pokémon doesn't trust me,_ Ben thought grouchily. He was disappointed that he couldn't communicate with other Pokémon, but he felt it made sense. _It would be weird if I gained the ability to understand what Pokémon are saying, considering that my transformations only seem to affect my physical body. That explains why I can only speak through telepathy; Zekrom's vocal capacities must limit it to growling and roaring. I wonder if Archeops can understand me… do all Pokémon speak the same language? I'm curious as to what the noises I've been making translate to. That could explain why Archeops doesn't like me._

"Seeing as there's a chance that N will want to have you killed, you shouldn't worry about it," Dragon remarked grimly.

"_Oh yeah, there's something I forgot to ask you. What's the purpose of Team Plasma? What are they trying to do?_" Ben had heard N mention that GMP156 went against everything the organization stood for—did Team Plasma want to ensure the welfare of Pokémon? The hybrid thought that was a reasonable goal, but why would the traitorous scientist want to put an end to an organization with good intentions?

"We want to liberate Pokémon from humans," Dragon explained. "Our ultimate goal is to completely separate humans and Pokémon."

"_Ha, I guess the guy who turned me into a hybrid had a pretty good sense of humor. Humans combined with Pokémon? That's gotta be the ultimate violation of Team Plasma's policies— looks like he was trying to add insult to injury._" Ben had conflicted feelings toward Team Plasma's goals. He agreed with their desire to support the wellbeing of Pokémon, but he thought it was ridiculous that they wanted to take Pokémon away from humans. _I can see why that would be controversial. I think both sides of this little war are very misguided, but they each have a point. If someone wise stepped up and took charge, I'm sure they'd be led in the right direction._ "_Now, hang on a second. If you're trying to free Pokémon from humans, why do you have a Pokémon? Isn't that a bit hypocritical?_"

Dragon sighed as if he had gone through this conversation several times before. "A lot of people ask us about that. Truth is, we need Pokémon to accomplish our mission. Once we've succeeded, we'll release our Pokémon."

"_I think you're failing to realize just how important Pokémon are to us. I mean, you outright stated that Team Plasma depends on Pokémon. If you can't even meet your goals without using Pokémon, how do you expect things to work out when you're done? It's silly._" The Zekrom glanced at Archeops again. "_You and Archeops seem to share a very close bond. Do you really think you'll be able to release him if Team Plasma succeeds?_"

"The building's right up ahead," Dragon announced, ignoring Ben's questions.

"_Uh, hello? Did you hear a word I just said?_" the hybrid hissed in frustration.

"I'm done answering questions," the grunt grumbled. "Besides, we're already here. Let's go have a talk with Lord N." He stepped up to the hole Ben had kicked in the wall and strolled through it.

"_In other words, you don't want to admit to being a hypocrite._" Ben reluctantly shoved himself through the gap. _This kid really irritates me. He doesn't even attempt to justify his ludicrous beliefs and actions._ The Zekrom swiveled his head around, taking in the sights of the laboratory. He immediately noticed that GMP156 was missing from the table. _Where did it go? Did N kill it? What did he do with its body?_ He felt a tinge of sadness; he wanted GMP156 to be freed, but this wasn't what he had in mind. During his brief encounter with the creature, he thought it was fascinating—he would've liked to see what it was capable of when conscious. _I don't think killing it was a very good solution. I'm sure N could've worked something out if he kept it alive. He may be an extremist, but he seems knowledgeable about Pokémon._

N had flattened himself against the wall, a stressed look on his face. Dragon approached him cautiously. "Is something troubling you, Lord N?" The grunt appeared to be unaware of GMP156's absence, but Ben figured his concern for his leader outweighed his concern for the Pokémon.

Pulling at his hair, N choked, "I let Genesect escape."

"Genesect?" Dragon repeated warily. He turned to face the table in the center of the room. "You mean GMP156?"

N heaved a heavy sigh. "Yes, I'm sorry. I just thought it'd be more respectful if I gave her a proper name. I was trying to talk with her; I wanted to know what she thought. For a moment, I thought she understood what I was saying. But then she started struggling and clawing at her chains. I tried to stop her, but she attacked me. There was nothing I could do—she just got up and went outside." He lowered his cap over his face. "I should've done something. This was a terrible mistake."

"Are you all right? Did it hurt you?" Dragon asked nervously.

"It's probably just a bruise. I'll be fine. I'm more worried about Genesect." Ben thought it was strange that N was ignoring his presence. Was Genesect really that important to him? _He was pretty freaked out when he saw me transform into Zekrom, but now he's acting like I don't exist. This N character is a very strange person._

"Well, we're on an island. Genesect couldn't have gotten very far, unless it can swim," Dragon explained, trying to calm the hassled leader.

"She can fly for short distances, apparently. I'm not sure what "short distances" equates to, and that's what worries me. What if her jets short out when she's flying over water? Or what if she manages to reach the mainland? I don't know anything about what this creature is capable of. It's also possible that she doesn't even know how to fly, which would be very fortunate for everyone." The hybrid wondered why N was worried about Genesect drowning. _Didn't he want it to be killed? He should be thankful; if anything, it's a convenience. Then again, drowning has got to be a pretty awful way to go, and he wanted its death to be humane. _

"I can get Archeops to survey the area," the grunt offered. "I'll make sure Genesect is out of harm's way. You can count on me!" He gestured toward the Zekrom. "My lord, now that that's being taken care of, are you going to deal with this hybrid?"

Ben grinned uneasily when N turned his attention to him. The king of Team Plasma bit his lip anxiously. "Yes, I suppose that's a more pressing matter at the moment."

"I'll be off, then." Dragon nodded. "Let's do this, Archeops." The birdlike Pokémon cawed gloomily and glided after its trainer as he exited the building again. _The poor thing must be exhausted. The trip to the P2 Laboratory was super long, and on top of that he had to carry Dragon on his back and me in his mouth. At least I don't weigh a lot, _Ben thought. _I'm pretty tired myself. I could use a nice, long nap… but if Dragon's right about this, I'll get more rest than I would ever wish for._


	21. Imprisonment

Aurelia was used to life on the road. As a Pokémon trainer, she was constantly moving from city to city and rarely stayed in one place for more than one night—her home in Opelucid was always miles away. This was one of her favorite aspects of being a trainer; she could run away from her troubles and leave them in the distance. But as with all the other things that made her a trainer, this freedom had been taken from her that morning.

She had been turned into the living incarnate of an ancient god. Most people would consider that to be a blessing, but realistically it was a curse. Until she or Destiny could confirm that they wouldn't continue to change into Pokémon, Aurelia couldn't possibly leave the forest. It had become like a prison to her. The gnarled, black trees were like jail bars, confining her in a small area with no chance of escape. Painful memories lingered in the air like smoke. She was being punished for a crime she did not commit.

"I wonder what's taking Colby so long," Destiny mused. "His trip to the Poké Mart earlier was much faster than this."

"_He ditched us, no doubt. The kid probably just made that offer so he could get away from us freaks. I don't blame him. If I had my choice, I'd want no part in this._" Aurelia scraped at the dirt with her pointed hooves, her gaze focused on nothing in particular.

"He wouldn't do that," Destiny chided. "Believe it or not, there are selfless, good-natured people out there who just want to lend a hand. Not everyone cares only about themselves."

Aurelia rolled her eyes. It was obvious that Destiny was attempting to scorn her for her attitude, and she didn't care. _There's no point in being charitable; it gets you nowhere. The human race is unpredictable. If you try to help someone, he might turn his back on you later and ruin your day. Why did I even bother helping the kid earlier? I should've known something like this was going to happen. I don't believe that there are truly any good Samaritans in the world; they only want to make themselves look good. They're just as selfish as anyone else._

"_What are we going to do if he doesn't come back?_" the Arceus questioned.

"Don't say that," said Destiny. "Please try to have faith."

_I liked it better when she was the bug thing. It was nice not having to listen to her crap. _Destiny's optimism was really getting on Aurelia's nerves. Once Aurelia had shared her life philosophies with her, she began to oppose all of her beliefs—it was as if she sought to make enemies with her. She acted as if Aurelia's history was merely a ploy for sympathy, and shoved it away like it was a made-up story. _She tells me off for being self-centered, but she can't empathize with my problems. It hurts. I wish someone would understand._

An odd tingling sensation in Aurelia's stomach distracted her from her thoughts. She recognized the feeling instantly—the same thing had happened shortly before she transformed into Arceus. _Could it be?_ Aurelia thought hopefully. _It feels like I've been waiting ages for this to happen._

The Arceus shut her eyes tight as the feeling pulsated through her body. It wasn't painful, but it was still very strange and uncomfortable—it certainly wasn't something any human being was meant to experience. _I'll endure this,_ she told herself. _The prize at the end is certainly worth going through whatever this curse wants to throw at me._

She strained her neck to lift her head, which felt like it weighed a ton. Blackness swept across her vision as dizziness danced in her head. Aurelia could hear Destiny's voice droning in the background, but she couldn't make out what she was saying. As if she had suddenly become paralyzed, her legs splayed out and her head crashed to the ground.

Her bones snapped and popped as they shrank and slid into place. The Arceus's impressive features contracted and she was covered by the snug embrace of clothing. She instinctively gasped for breath as her mouth and nose reappeared. Aurelia began to retch and sputter as air filled her lungs—after being trapped as a creature with no means of breathing, it felt weird and unnatural.

Aware that she had regained control of her body, she immediately sat up. Aurelia threw her hands to her face and ran them over her features, her head still throbbing from the toll of her transformation. Relief flowed through her as she touched lips and a bump of a nose. She had finally returned to normal. Aurelia almost threw her head back and laughed in joy, but she didn't want to create a scene.

Destiny looked repulsed. "Ugh, watching that made my stomach churn. I hope that was the last time either of us will have to go through that."

"Tell me about it," Aurelia grumbled, nearly forgetting that she could no longer speak with telepathy. Destiny seemed surprised that she hadn't thrown in a pessimistic comment; Aurelia figured it wasn't worth it, since Destiny would only start arguing with her. She felt truly happy for once, and she wanted to keep her mood up for at least a while.

"Colby had better hurry. We're both in a state where we can eat, and I'd hate to say it, but I don't know how long this will last," Destiny remarked, staring off in the direction the young trainer had disappeared.

"We'd probably be better off looking for food in this forest. Being a Pokémon trainer, I know a bit about what kind of berries are good to eat. I'm not sure if they taste very good, but it's better than starving to death," Aurelia explained.

A faint smirk appeared on Destiny's face. "Hey, look! I think I see Colby!"

"Do you? What perfect timing," Aurelia muttered, shifting her gaze over to where the girl was looking. She could definitely see a figure in the distance, but something seemed off. She squinted, trying to get a better look. From what she could tell, the person was a girl a few years older than her. She was dressed in a very unusual looking costume. "Are you nearsighted or something? That's not Colby. Colby doesn't dress like that. That's not even a boy."

"Seriously? I didn't think my vision was that bad," Destiny breathed in alarm. "Who is it, then?"

"Do you really expect me to know?" Aurelia growled. _What an idiot._ "It's not uncommon for trainers to roam forests in pursuit of wild Pokémon. Maybe we can ask her if she's seen the kid."

"I thought we'd be safe here," Destiny whispered timidly. "If what you say is true, then we might as well just go out in the open. What if she saw you when you were Arceus?"

Aurelia snickered quietly. "I think she would've been screaming and running away, especially if she saw me turn back. I doubt there's any place we could go that's perfectly safe. Trainers tend to search every nook and cranny for new Pokémon to battle and catch. A densely forested place like this is our best bet, I'd say."

Destiny sighed. "It's a miracle we're both back to normal. I don't want to imagine what would happen if we were still Pokémon."

"Electroweb now, Galvantula!" the girl commanded. Aurelia blinked in confusion; the girl wasn't battling a wild Pokémon, so what was she telling her Pokémon to attack? She was hit with a realization when she watched the furry insect crawl over to her and Destiny—she was making it attack the two of them.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Aurelia shouted, enraged. "What the hell are you doing? Do we really look like Pokémon to you?"

"No," the Galvantula's trainer replied coolly. "Not right now, at least. There's no need to try to hide it, hybrids. I can see through your disguise." Her Pokémon exhaled a glob of sparking thread, which wrapped around the trees surrounding the two girls.

_Hybrids?_ Aurelia fearfully repeated in her mind. _She called us hybrids… but what does that mean? It obviously has something to do with our transformations, but I've never heard that term used before. Does this mean she actually knows what happened to us?_ She would've liked to ask the trainer some questions, but she didn't appear to be very friendly. Besides, she had just been locked up in an electric fence—she had bigger things to worry about.

She sucked in a deep breath, trying her best to stay calm. _Well, this sucks. I guess this chick did see me transform. The thing is, she's acting like she was specifically looking for us. How does she know about us in the first place? It can't be common knowledge; otherwise, Colby surely would've known what we are. What does she even want with us? _As much as Aurelia wanted to speak up, she didn't want to risk saying anything rash and getting into even more trouble.

"W-what are you talking about?" Destiny stammered unconvincingly, clearly terrified. Aurelia shot her an angry glance; if she wasn't going to make things worse, Destiny certainly was.

"Oh, please," the girl crowed. "You know as well as I do what you are. Even if I hadn't watched your buddy change from a Pokémon to a human, I still wouldn't have a doubt in my head that you're a couple of beasts." She grinned spitefully. "I might not have captured the first hybrid, but I managed to catch two of them! Better yet, one of them is fused with Arceus! I'm bound to get a promotion for this!"

Aurelia narrowed her eyes. _A promotion? What, is it her job to wrangle up freaks like us? _

"Who are you?" Destiny asked in a small voice. "What are you going to do with us?"

The girl spoke in a sing-song tone. "The name's Lynn, but that shouldn't be of importance to you. Also, I'm not the one who decides what happens to you."

Aurelia couldn't take it anymore. "You know what? I've had enough of this. Get off your high horse and stop acting like we're inferior to you." She uttered her first words tentatively, as if she expected Destiny would criticize her for them. "If you're going to march up to us and trap us like this, we at least deserve an explanation. Don't twist our words and give us useless information. I don't give a damn about what your name is. We want to know why you did this. You also clearly know what we've been turned into, so some clarification about that would be appreciated as well. If you're going to waste your time chit-chatting with us, at least make it meaningful."

"What's the fun in that?" Lynn purred, unfazed by Aurelia's angry retort. "I've got you captured. You're basically possessions of mine now. I don't have to listen to you."

Aurelia's face turned red with fury. _I'm starting to wish I hadn't turned back. This bitch could use a nice Hyper Beam in the face._ "Fine. Well, are you just going to leave us here? If you plan on doing something with us, quit stalling and get on with it."

"As much as I'd love to leave you to rot here, I'm afraid I'll have to turn you in at some point. I need to call for back-up first if I want to take you to headquarters. I wasn't expecting that I'd find two of you." Lynn reached for her C-Gear, laughing deviously.

"Sandile, Fire Fang now!"

Aurelia watched in surprise as a small tan blur flew at Lynn's Galvantula. The tiny creature opened its jaws, smoke billowing from its teeth. It bit down on the insect's foreleg and fiercely shook its little head from side to side. The Sandile's trainer strode up behind it, a determined look on his face.

_Well, what do you know? Colby didn't abandon us._ Aurelia tried her best not to smile. _What a brave kid… or maybe he's just really stupid. He's a rookie trainer. Does he really think he'll be able to beat this freak?_


	22. Betrayal

It was difficult for Dragon to form a solid opinion of Team Plasma. He had been suspicious of Ghetsis's abrupt announcement about the hybrids from the start, but he had pushed his skepticism to the back of his mind upon encountering Ben. _I don't get it,_ he thought. _The hybrids are obviously a real problem, so why wasn't Lord N informed? Better yet, why did Ghetsis lie to us about him approving the mission? Judging by how he reacted when he found out about the thing he calls Genesect, I wouldn't doubt that he'd support the project._ Genesect's purpose confused him just as much—Dudley's original explanation seemed logical, but the truth made absolutely no sense. _What could Team Plasma hope to accomplish with an insect revived from a fossil? Lord N has plans of his own, and he'd never resort to using something like that to accomplish his goals. _There was undoubtedly something fishy going on among the Team Plasma officials.

Dragon shook his head as he trudged out of the laboratory. _It's like I can't trust anyone anymore. I can't imagine how Lord N feels… betrayed by the people he trusted the most. Well, I'll show him that there's at least one person in Team Plasma who's still loyal to him. I won't let anything get in my way of capturing Genesect._

Archeops glided low to the ground, its eyelids drooping with exhaustion. Dragon pitied his Pokémon, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it. _If Genesect tries to attack, he's my only hope. I'm not sure what I might be up against… Lord N made it sound dangerous. _The grunt paused and started to speak softly to his Archeops. "You've been doing a great job today, buddy. When we get home, you can eat as many Babiri Berries as you want."

The First Bird Pokémon perked up when its trainer mentioned its favorite treat. "_Kwwrrmm_," it purred as it nuzzled him.

Dragon laughed. "Don't get too excited. We need to find that bug first. The sooner we catch it, the sooner we can go home. So, let's keep moving, okay?"

Archeops squawked happily and beat its wings with more enthusiasm. Dragon smiled, feeling accomplished. _Mentioning food always seems to boost his morale._ "Hey, Archeops, why don't you try flying up high and surveying the island? With luck, that will make things go a lot faster. If you see Genesect, come back and lead me to it."

The Pokémon dipped its head in acceptance and began to ascend. Dragon watched as Archeops disappeared into the night sky, and then turned to his C-Gear. _I wonder what time it is. It must be pretty late._ Right as he was about to check the time, Archeops's shrill voice rang out. The feathered creature, which was suddenly full of fervent energy, dived toward its trainer.

"Whoa!" Dragon shouted in amazement. "You didn't find it already, did you?" _I guess Genesect didn't get very far. That means there's no way it could've drowned._

Archeops bobbed its head vigorously, and then took off into the wilderness. "Hey, wait up!" Dragon cried as he chased after it. _To think I was telling him to move faster a few minutes ago._ When the grunt finally caught up with his Pokémon, he noticed that it was floating over a dark, motionless shape. Dragon approached it cautiously, recognizing what it was right away. Archeops protectively hovered by his side.

"Genesect, I know you're not happy about what those people were talking about, but I really need you to go back to the laboratory. Believe it or not, Lord N is worried about you. Come on, I'll take you there." Dragon had a feeling the creature wouldn't listen to him, but he was also rather sure of his ability to comfort Pokémon. Genesect didn't appear to be in an aggressive mood, and he didn't want to risk angering it by having Archeops attack it.

Genesect raised its head, its bulbous red eyes glowing in the moonlight. "_Wrrooggh,_" it growled crankily. Pushing itself onto all fours, it clumsily backed away.

Dragon raised an eyebrow. He was sure it was a coincidence, but he noticed that the noise it made sounded oddly similar to the word _no_. "You're not trying to talk to me, are you? I wouldn't think that a three hundred million-year-old insect would know how to speak like a human."

The creature stopped moving for a second and glared at the grunt. Even though its expression stayed unchanged, Dragon could nearly feel the spite burning in its eyes. "What's wrong? Genesect, you don't understand. I'm just trying to help you. I don't think being stranded in the middle of an island will do you any good. Please come with me, Genesect." Lying through his teeth, he uttered, "I promise nothing bad will happen to you."

Seemingly ignoring the grunt's words, Genesect lowered its head and began shuffling backwards. Dragon dejectedly gazed at his Archeops. "It looks like we have no choice but to knock it out. I don't get why Genesect has to be so stubborn." He studied the purple insect, and deduced that based on its appearance, it was probably of the Bug and Steel types. _Archeops doesn't know any Fire type moves, so this might be a bit of a challenge. I guess I'll have to whittle its health away with Rock Slide. Offensively, this thing could pose a bit of a threat to Archeops, since it might have some powerful Steel type moves up its sleeve. But then again, Lord N made it seem like it doesn't know what it's capable of. I guess we've just gotta see how this goes._ "Archeops, let's see a Rock Slide!"

The First Bird Pokémon shrieked and summoned a shower of small boulders. Genesect, who didn't even attempt to dodge the attack, remained still and was buried beneath the rocks. Dragon waited in nervous anticipation for the modified Pokémon to make a move. Several heartbeats later, the stones began to tumble into the grass as Genesect slowly unearthed itself, completely unharmed. It was hard to tell, but the insect almost appeared impressed by its durability.

"What in the world?" Dragon exclaimed in surprise. _That move clearly hit, and yet Genesect took absolutely no damage!_ The creature stared at him challengingly, like it was looking forward to seeing what would happen next. "If that's not going to work, let's try DragonBreath!"

Archeops launched a purple fireball from its mouth, and it flew toward Genesect's thorax. Much to Dragon's horror, the fiery orb buffeted off of the creature's chest and dissipated into the air. Genesect indifferently tilted its head forward, trying to get a look at its torso. _Something isn't right here. I took down a Zekrom in a couple of hits, and yet I can't even scratch this thing. Just what kind of modifications did they give it? There's no way this is a normal Pokémon. _

"If you want to hurt GMP156, that's not the way you do it." A booming voice echoed through the air as a fat shadow swam over the uninjured creature. Startled, Genesect jerked its head skyward. It watched in fear as a nightmarish-looking dragon swooped down beside it. The monster had three snapping heads, two of which were deformed and attached to the ends of its arms. A fleshy magenta frill wrapped around its dominant head. Its upper body was covered in bristly black hair, and six tendril-like wings sprouted from its back. Its legs, which seemed too small for its round body, dangled uselessly at its sides. It had a muscular tail that swung from side to side as it intently studied Dragon and his Archeops with its soulless eyes.

Seated on the Hydreigon's back was the last person Dragon would've wanted to run into. "Ghetsis?" the grunt gasped. "Why are you here? What are you talking about?" Archeops bared its teeth, immediately detecting its trainer's discomfort.

Ghetsis slid off of his Hydreigon. "Why do you think I'm here? I'm not going to let that foolish boy destroy my masterpiece."

Dragon's face turned hot with fury at Ghetsis's lack of respect for his leader. "You're nothing but a traitor," he growled, "just like the man who made the hybrids. If Lord N wants to put Genesect out of its misery, then we have no right to question him. This creature shouldn't have been created in the first place."

The official grinned. "You've got a lot of nerve, kid. You know, I raised that boy from birth. While I'm not his father by blood, I'm the only parent he's ever truly had. I taught him everything he knows, but he's still a child. There are a lot of things he doesn't know about the world. With that in mind, I feel as if I'm entitled to make some decisions for him." He eyed the metallic insect. "So, you're calling it _Genesect_ now? How cute. Isn't it pointless to give it a nickname if it's going to be dead?" Genesect made a grumbling noise in response.

"Why did you make Lord N the king of Team Plasma, then?" Dragon inquired angrily.

"He's a figurehead. The boy is charismatic, I'll give him that. People are much more likely to listen to a fresh, young leader than someone old like myself. Most of Team Plasma's real work is done behind the scenes." Ghetsis stepped closer to Genesect. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be taking back what's rightfully mine." He reached for the barrel of its cannon and pressed the large, black button on top of it. The piece of yellow plastic popped out of its slot, and the creature slumped to its knees. It continued to fall forward until its head smashed against the ground.

"What the…" Dragon stammered in shock, "… what did you do to it?"

Ghetsis grabbed the piece of plastic and held it up in the air. "To put things simply, GMP156 is a cyborg. The Photon Blaster, which is what we've named the cannon on its back, is directly connected to its nervous system and is essentially a second brain." He waved the object in front of Dragon's face. "This drive is what powers its life functions, such as respiration and circulation. It also provides it with energy, which makes up for its defunct digestive system. The energy can additionally be released from its cannon in the form of a powerful laser, although it hasn't been trained to do that yet. It's like a battery powering a toy. When it is removed, GMP156's body completely shuts down and it basically dies. But once the drive is replaced, GMP156 can be "rebooted" with no damage done. This is done sparingly, however; we assume that its internal structures would begin to decompose if it was dead long enough. I feel as if this is an appropriate time to remove it, though." He pointed at his Pokémon. "Fetch, Hydreigon."

The Brutal Pokémon let out a frightening roar and bit down on Genesect's arms with its secondary heads. Hydreigon clamped its dominant jaws around the back of the insect's head for extra support as it lifted Genesect into the air. "Good," Ghetsis praised emotionlessly as he climbed onto Hydreigon's back. He lightly kicked the monster's side. "Let's go." Hydreigon submissively lowered its head as it soared away.

"Don't you say a word about this to anyone," the green-haired man called, casting a threatening gaze down upon Dragon. "Interfering with official Team Plasma business was a dangerous move, and if any of this information gets out to N or anybody else, your life is on the line. Remember who's really in charge of Team Plasma; who truly holds the power."

The grunt hopelessly watched as Ghetsis vanished with the lifeless Genesect. He wanted to chase after him, but he couldn't bring himself to exert Archeops more. He figured he wouldn't stand a chance against the fearsome Hydreigon, anyway. Dragon glumly turned to his Pokémon, which was sharing his disappointment. "We did our best, Archeops. There's nothing else we can do. I guess we'll just have to tell Lord N what happened and hope he understands. Come on, let's head back."

Dragon couldn't get the image of Genesect literally having its life ripped out off of his mind. _I know it's not dead for real, but great Arceus. How is that even possible? I've never seen anything like that._ He thought it was strange how the Team Plasma officials constantly changed Genesect's story. First it was nothing more than a robot, then it was a technologically enhanced insect that had been revived from a fossil, and now it was a cyborg. He also found the intelligence the creature seemed to display slightly unnerving. _It's like no one even knows what it is, or they're doing a bad job at hiding it. There was a bit of truth to each story, but they're all so different. What is Genesect, and what purpose is it really supposed to serve?_


	23. Moving Forward

Colby locked eyes with the Team Plasma grunt, his hands balled into fists. "Let them out. They didn't do anything wrong."

Colby couldn't do it. He couldn't walk away and abandon his friends. Even though they had just met, he already felt like he had been through so much with them. He didn't care that he was clearly outmatched. _At least they'll know I tried._ Despite his clouding doubt, the boy still clung to a tiny spark of determination. _I want to be a hero,_ Colby thought. _I wasn't able to get the food and supplies. It was a simple task, and I slipped up. I'll make up for it. I don't want them to think I'm useless._

After the grunt had left, Colby had begun to stealthily follow her trail. He made sure to keep a reasonable distance behind her and tried his best to make his footsteps silent. He didn't want her to see him until the last possible moment.

The grunt glanced from her Galvantula, who was thrashing about madly as it tried to throw off Sandile, to Colby. Her expression quickly transitioned from shock to amusement. "Why, would you look who it is? You said you didn't know anything about the hybrids."

Colby shrugged. "I lied. Now, if you don't cut down the fence, Sandile will do it for me." His Pokémon let out a short growl, seemingly agreeing with its trainer.

The grunt began to snicker. "You're cute, you know that? Standing up for your girly friends like that… you're like a miniature knight in shining armor! Kid, your petty threats mean nothing, especially since they're coming out of a newbie's mouth." She flashed Galvantula a look. "Finish the brat's critter with a Bug Bite."

The EleSpider Pokémon stopped struggling and opened its mouth, revealing monstrous fangs. It pulled its head back and then lunged, snagging Sandile's little body in its jaws. It jerked its head to the side and flung Sandile onto the ground.

"Sandile!" Colby shouted, rushing up to his Pokémon. He lifted its head worriedly, panic racing in his heart. The tawny creature made a quiet gurgling noise before blacking out. Colby glared at the grunt as he withdrew Sandile's Poké Ball and called it back.

"Well, so much for that," muttered Aurelia, who had returned to her human shape. "Just when I was starting to think you might actually stand a chance."

"Please. He was doomed from the start," the grunt laughed. "Maybe if he hadn't let his foolish heroics get to his head, he would've been able to devise a more logical plan. He could've made his critter attack the web right away instead of threatening me."

Colby gritted his teeth in frustration. He was trying too hard to live up to his image of a fearless hero. At his level of experience and skill, he shouldn't undauntedly march into tricky situations and expect to triumph with bold recklessness alone. If he wanted to succeed, he'd have to rely on wit and resourcefulness; something he had realized a tad too late.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an important call to make. Why don't you get going, kid? It's not like there's anything you can do. Things will be a lot easier for both of us if you turn and walk away right now," the grunt suggested, raising her arm.

Colby narrowed his eyes as he took notice of her C-Gear. _She's going to call for reinforcements! If only there was a way for me to get it away from her… then she wouldn't be able to get them to headquarters. But what can I do? It's strapped to her wrist; it's not like I can just take it from her._ He watched fearfully as the grunt began to dial a number. _I've gotta do something… I might not be able to steal the C-Gear from her, but maybe there's something else I can do._

He dropped his gaze to the ground and frantically searched the forest floor for a rock. Colby grinned when he spotted a flat stone around the size of his hand at the base of a nearby tree. He swiftly grabbed it, wondering if the grunt was even paying attention.

"Hello!" she brightly exclaimed into her C-Gear while playing with her hair. "You won't believe the luck I've had!"

Colby smiled impishly. _Here goes nothing._ He rose to his feet, grasping the rock tightly. Holding it over his head, he crept up behind the grunt.

"I didn't find just one hybrid—I found two! Ha, I didn't expect this to be so easy!" Before the grunt had a chance to start another sentence, Colby leaped in front of her and smashed the stone against her C-Gear's screen.

The grunt shrieked and nearly tumbled backwards in surprise and horror. "What the hell?" she screamed in exasperation, furiously examining her C-Gear. The screen had gone black, and there was a large crack in the middle of it.

"Now what are you gonna do?" Colby questioned proudly. "You can't get back-up now, so how 'bout you let them go?"

"Well," the grunt growled, "we were told that if we were given problems, we had permission to kill the hybrids." She grinned sadistically, yanking the broken C-Gear off of her arm and tossing it onto the ground. "Would you like to watch Galvantula put them out of their misery? You already saw what she's capable of in a standard Pokémon battle when she took down your Sandile in a single hit. Can you imagine what she can do at her full potential?" Galvantula rubbed its forelegs together in anticipation.

Colby made a choking noise and dropped to his knees. "Please," he begged, fighting back tears. "They're innocent. I know them, and they're good people. They wouldn't hurt anyone." _I messed up again,_ he thought in terror. _Why didn't I see this coming? This could've been avoided… I don't know what she was planning on doing with them once they got to headquarters, but it's gotta be better than this. Anything is better than this._

The grunt stomped on her C-Gear, grinding it into the dirt. "That won't work on me, kiddo. As cute as you are, I have to follow orders. Besides, I know more about the hybrids than you do. They're dangerous; they were created to be weapons."

Aurelia took a deep breath. "Maybe this is for the best. The thing about us being dangerous is crap if you ask me, but being a hybrid is a living nightmare. It'd be so much easier to just end it all here and now."

"You can't say that!" Colby yelled in disbelief. _What is she doing? It's not like her to surrender without a fight!_

"I'm glad you understand," the grunt purred. "I didn't expect you would comply so easily."

"N-no," Destiny stuttered, tears streaming down her face. "I don't want to die!"

Aurelia gave the other hybrid a hard stare. "Get real, Destiny. What do you have to live for anymore? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life hidden from society? We're not even human. I can't be a Pokémon trainer anymore. You won't be able to get a job. This is it. Is this really what you want?"

Destiny kept silent, too appalled to speak.

"See? There are no benefits to being a hybrid," the grunt chimed. "Since you're being so obedient, I'll let you choose how you'd like to be executed. What will it be: Electroweb, Slash, or Bug Bite?"

Aurelia closed her eyes. "I don't care. Just make it fast."

The grunt bowed her head. "Okay then. Galvantula, use Slash on the brunette. Be sure to make it a killing blow."

Her Pokémon let out a gurgling noise as it slithered up to the fence and promptly sliced an opening in it. It crawled up to Aurelia and raised its foreleg to strike, when suddenly the hybrid rammed her foot into its face. "Not today!" she snarled in disdain, watching as the Galvantula screeched and slid backwards. "If fate wanted me dead, it would've killed me off long ago. As awful as being a hybrid is, I don't think now's my time. Oh, and Lynn? You were criticizing the kid for not planning his actions, yet you expected me to just let your bug kill me when I could've easily stopped it. I find that hilarious."

Destiny gasped and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Great Arceus," she whispered.

Lynn stood frozen, her mouth gaping open in shock. "You… you bitch!" She ran up to her Galvantula, who was writhing in agony. There was a large dent in its head, and one of its dominant eyes had been smashed in. "What the hell did you do to my Pokémon?"

"I did what I needed to," Aurelia grumbled. "I mean, it was going to kill me. I was defending myself. You should be glad it's still alive."

Growling in anger and disgust, Lynn took out Galvantula's Poké Ball and held it out, her arm shaking. Once the wounded Pokémon had been called back, the grunt furiously sprinted away.

"Well, that's that," Aurelia snorted, her hands on her hips. She carefully stepped out of what was left of the fence. "I'm surprised she didn't try to kill us with her own hands. It was smart of her to run away."

"Holy crap," Destiny breathed, collapsing onto her knees. Her entire body was trembling, and tears stained her cheeks. "I've never been so scared in my entire life. Turning into that… thing was nothing compared to this."

"It's over now," Colby mumbled in a small voice. Everything had happened so fast. Just moments ago, he thought he'd be responsible for Aurelia and Destiny's deaths, and now they were all fine. The boy wiped his eyes, which had begun to water.

"I know, but… wow." Destiny rose to her feet timorously. "She won't be coming back, will she?"

"Totaled C-Gear, totaled Pokémon… we shouldn't be seeing her again anytime soon!" Aurelia spoke in an uncannily optimistic tone. Colby guessed it had something to do with how she was a human again.

"I don't know about that," Colby said apprehensively. "She told me there was a whole organization hunting you down."

"What?" Aurelia exclaimed. "You talked to her?"

"I ran into her when I was on the way to the Poké Mart," Colby explained, speaking quickly. "She made her Galvantula trap me, like what she did to you. Then she started interrogating me… she asked if I had seen anything suspicious, and then she started describing things that sounded just like you. She called them hybrids, and she said they had been kidnapped off the streets and injected with a type of formula that would cause them to turn into Legendary Pokémon. They were created to take down "Team Plasma", so they're trying to capture them. A Zekrom hybrid had been captured around here, so this area is probably under investigation."

"Whoa, slow down," Aurelia snapped, waving her hands in front of her. "She told you all that? Funny, she refused to tell us anything." She paused. "Team Plasma, huh? I think I heard my mom talking about them once." The hybrid lowered her head at the mention of her mother. "Who would even do something like that? You'd think they'd look for people who were actually willing to be turned into these things if they wanted to do something crazy like that. Then again, I doubt there would be any volunteers. But seriously, that story is unrealistic and full of holes. I'm not sure if I should believe it or not."

"We have no reason not to believe it," Destiny stated coyly. "It has to be true. Why else would that girl try to kill us? After all we've been through today, nothing really seems unrealistic to me anymore."

"Did you see her? She was totally nuts! She was clearly some kind of psycho," Aurelia hissed. "Where do you suppose we'll go, anyway? We can't exactly run off to Mistralton. We may be normal at the moment, but now it's pretty much been confirmed that we'll continue to turn into Pokémon. It's only a matter of time before it happens again."

"I never said we had to go to Mistralton. Can't we go the other way?" Destiny asked.

"If we head north, we'll have to travel through Twist Mountain, which is a complicated expanse of caves and tunnels. South of Mistralton is Chargestone Cave, another place I'd prefer not to hide out in. This forest and Mistralton City are in the middle of a valley; there's really not anywhere we can run easily."

"Weren't you a Pokémon trainer? You've traveled through places like that, haven't you?"

"Yeah, but that was when I wasn't on the run. I also had Pokémon to protect me, and all the supplies I needed to survive in the wild. If we could find my bag, maybe we'd stand a chance."

"We have Colby, though."

"Colby's Pokémon was taken down in one hit." The boy's faced turned red with embarrassment at Aurelia's mention of his defeat. "I was a trainer for three years, so my Pokémon are much stronger. My bag might be somewhere in that building. If we find it, we might be able to make an escape."

"What about food?"

"That's where Colby comes in. Once I get my Pokémon back, we'll be able to protect ourselves. Then we can let Colby run to the Poké Mart and pick up what we need whenever we want without having to worry."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense." Destiny finally walked out of the broken fence. "Well, we'd better get moving. Who knows when Team Plasma will strike again?"

Colby was glad his friends had come up with a plan, but he wondered when he'd get to start his Pokémon journey. _They talk about me like I'm some kind of tool. I know I agreed to help them, but how long do they expect me to be there for them? And where do they expect me to get the money to buy all this stuff if I have to follow them around everywhere? Trainers get money from winning Pokémon battles, and I doubt I'll have a chance to participate in any of those._ Colby smiled, pushing the thought aside. _Oh well, I'm sure everything will work out just fine._


	24. Verdict

The Zekrom's studious gaze was fixed on N, and he clicked his teeth edgily as he waited for him to say something. His tall stature and challenging visage made it exceptionally difficult for the leader of Team Plasma to confront him. Growing impatient, the Zekrom decided to say, "_Hello, sir. Dragon told me a lot about you. Before you let me know what you're going to do with me, I'd like to ask you some questions if it isn't trouble. I must say, I'm deeply interested in your organization and its goals._" His tone was so casual that it sounded forced.

N felt like he was approaching Genesect all over again. He was deciding the fate of a being whose form had been corrupted through science, except this time the creature had a conscience and was capable of original thought. He was dealing with a human trapped in the body of a Pokémon; someone who possessed a complex and unique set of ideals and principles. Genesect, on the other hand, was a feral animal with nothing more than its primitive instincts for guidance. _But in the end, they're one and the same: tainted organisms whose lives have been put in my hands. They're made up of genes and cells and flesh and blood, and the only things that make them different are the traits they've gained through evolution. Man's intelligence and dexterity are his weapons; Pokémon have other means of protecting themselves. Therefore, it would be unjust to let this hybrid's mental abilities influence my verdict. _

Another thing that separated the hybrid from Genesect was his demeanor and behavior towards his altered form. Genesect had begun to fight and struggle wildly as soon as it was awakened, making it clear that it was suffering. The hybrid, however, seemed to remain calm and indifferent about the situation. Were their reactions affected by their intelligence and understanding, or was the hybrid truly better off than Genesect?

_I just don't know what to do,_ N thought timorously. _I can't sentence this boy to death. I can't sentence Genesect to death. I can't do it. I know that they may be threats to the environment; I know that they may be suffering. But even if it's the right decision, I won't be able to live with the burden of knowing I put an end to someone's life. Why do things like this have to exist? Why would anyone think that these twisted, broken organisms could be betterment for society? If Arceus intended for these creatures to walk the planet, it would have created them._ The king of Team Plasma looked the Zekrom in the eye. _The least I can do is fulfill this poor boy's wishes. Perhaps I'll be able to reach a conclusion during our talk._ "I'd be happy to answer your questions," N finally said.

The hybrid nodded in acceptance. "_I was told that Team Plasma strives to completely separate humans from Pokémon. Why is this? What are your motivations? How do you think this will benefit the Unova region?_"

N froze. As he tried to formulate a response, horrible imagery flashed through his mind: Pokémon with broken necks; Pokémon with shredded ears and gouged-out eyes; Pokémon so emaciated that they were little more than skeletons; Pokémon with gangrenous wounds and blisters and burns. They were all Pokémon that had been heartlessly abandoned by their trainers; Pokémon that Ghetsis had given N to play with; Pokémon that had died in front of him. He could feel rage livening inside of him like a pillar of flame; anger and emotion that had been building up in the recesses of his mind since he was a child. "It's my destiny," was all he managed to utter. His voice was surprisingly relaxed compared to the fury he was feeling inside.

The Zekrom blinked vacantly. "_I don't understand._"

"I'm sorry." N sighed, silently reprimanding himself. "What I mean is that I've spent my entire life being prepared to lead Team Plasma. Ghetsis, my father, found me abandoned in Lostlorn Forest. He took me in and taught me everything I know, and he exposed the evils of Pokémon trainers to me. Everyone believes that humans and Pokémon coexist in equilibrium, but that's a terrible misconception. I've seen the truth. Humans think of themselves as superior to Pokémon, and they assert their dominance by using them like tools. There is a broad spectrum of humans in this world, and they each use Pokémon for different purposes. The most devious of these purposes is by far the one most commonly associated with Pokémon—battling for the sake of their trainers' pleasure, as if it's some kind of game or competition. It's a sickening custom that has somehow integrated itself into the lifestyles of everyone in the Unova region. Under any circumstance, humans force Pokémon to do things without their consent. While this is unacceptable to begin with, battling takes it the extra mile; Pokémon are injured, or in some cases killed, and there's no way for them to speak against it. I'm not like most humans. I can hear the voices of Pokémon… I can hear them screaming, crying for liberation. I'd be dead if it weren't for Ghetsis, and I like to think I was rescued for a reason. I'll be their savior. With the help of Team Plasma, I want trainers to hear the wrongs of their actions. I want to put an end to Unova's deafness."

The hybrid huffed loudly. "_There are a lot of bad people out there, but the world's evil is offset by its good. I think you're generalizing. True, Pokémon abuse and mishandling is becoming far too common; it's happening all around us. When I first saw Genesect, I was just as disgusted as you were. I agree that something should be done about people who do things like that. Saying that all Pokémon trainers are evil and cruel to their Pokémon is a stretch, though. You know that kid named Dragon, the one who's out looking for Genesect? You can't tell me he doesn't love his Archeops. If he really did treat it poorly, why does it listen to him? Most trainers do honor the ideals of their Pokémon, and I believe that Pokémon enjoy cooperating with them as a whole. If you separated trainers and Pokémon like that, you'd be breaking close friendships. Do you really think that will do the world any good? Please take this into consideration._" He swiveled his head over to the table Genesect had once been strapped to. "_It's interesting how you say Ghetsis taught you all those things, seeing as he was in on the Genesect project. Why would you invest all your trust in a liar who can't even support his own beliefs?_"

N was beginning to feel uncomfortable. He was the king—he wasn't used to people questioning his authority and ambitions. Everyone in Team Plasma looked up to him and treated him with honor and loyalty, or at least that was how it had been before today. He still couldn't figure out why Ghetsis had gotten involved in Genesect's modifications, or why he had tricked Team Plasma into thinking N supported the extermination of the hybrids. Despite this, the young man wasn't ready to lose faith in his adoptive father. He understood that Ghetsis had strange ways of getting his thoughts across to him, so he suspected that the man had something else planned.

"I understand that benign, virtuous trainers exist. And yes, it hurts me that I'll have to break such special bonds. Unfortunately, I feel that they are not as common as you make them out to be. Dragon is a poor example of a good trainer—it's evident that he has been overworking his Pokémon. There's a reason why Pokémon obey their trainers no matter what. They are incapable of thinking for themselves, so they look to their masters for instruction. That's the way their brains work, and humans have taken advantage of this by callously manipulating them to follow their commands. It's a shame." N continued, "The world is made up of many kinds of people, but no one's morals are wholly black or white. No human is purely good, and no human is purely evil. That's what makes our species so infinitely fascinating—we go beyond merely focusing on the instincts we need for survival. Pokémon do not have these things we call morals or values; they do what they need to do to keep themselves alive, or else they let their masters make their decisions for them. But where do our values come from? What compels us to hold our beliefs in such high regards, to make our choices, to carry out our actions? Where does all of this stem from?"

The Zekrom took a moment to digest what N had said. "_You say that Pokémon are begging for freedom, and yet you believe Pokémon can't think for themselves? That doesn't make a lot of sense. If anyone can't think for himself, that would be you. You let Ghetsis feed you a load of bull, and you're taking it to heart. That dude's a joke; the proof is all around you. You seem like a pretty smart guy, so why do you feel the need to cling to that hypocritical bigot? It's ironic how you think it's so amazing that we can make our own decisions, and yet you've let someone else shape your ideals_. _Eh, I won't try to change your mind. If you're as intelligent as you seem, I'd expect you to be able to analyze the situation and realize how much of a mistake you're making." _

N timidly adjusted his shirt collar. "I'm not blindly following Ghetsis. I know what he taught me is true, because I've seen it with my own eyes. I've seen things…" his voice trailed off as the terrible visions flickered through his head again, "… I've seen things that could make even the most hardened man cringe. You're so very lucky that you haven't been exposed to these things, but at the same time, I pity you. You've been indoctrinated to believe that humans see Pokémon as equals, just like the rest of society. It's depressing that others can't see the truth like me."

"_Whoa, now, hang on a second. I don't know, but I think you're the one who's been indoctrinated. I'm sure you've seen some pretty nasty things, but like I said, you can't think they're normal._" The hybrid shook his head, a half-amused look on his face. "_You know what? This isn't getting anywhere. We're right back at the beginning again, and I guess we've just gotta assume that neither of us are right. Why don't we just change the subject and move on?_" He cleared his throat, which was strange considering that he was speaking through his mind. "_How exactly do you plan on completely separating Pokémon from humans? That sounds like a pretty unrealistic goal if you ask me._"

N was relieved that he didn't want to continue the conversation. "Are you familiar with the folktale about the Great Dragon?"

"_Why, yes. I'm pretty sure everyone in the Unova region has heard that old story. What are you trying to say?_" The Zekrom looked puzzled.

"I plan on reassembling the Great Dragon," N explained. "For centuries, we've believed that there is no way for Reshiram and Zekrom to recombine. Truth is, we've merely forgotten a crucial component of the equation. I theorize that Kyurem, the vicious monster whose name alone strikes fear in the hearts of the residents of Lacunosa Town, is actually an empty vessel that was once filled with the power of Zekrom and Reshiram. According to the legend, Reshiram and Zekrom will be resurrected from their dormant states when they recognize the arrival of a great hero. Once I obtain the Light and Dark Stones, the dragons will acknowledge that I am to be the savior of the Unova region and they'll spring from the petrified orbs. I will bring then to the Giant Chasm, where they'll fuse with Kyurem and become the Great Dragon. Using the Great Dragon's powers, I'll create separate worlds for human and Pokémon." It felt good to finally release what was on his mind, even though he was talking to an individual who defiantly opposed his beliefs. "I will bring black and white together and create gray; a perfect balance of value. And then I will take humans and Pokémon, black and white, apart, so that the world may truly be in equilibrium."

The hybrid kept silent for a minute. He then snorted in bemusement, "_That's your plan? Really? Well, I suppose it's just as rational as your beliefs. Your theory about Kyurem is certainly interesting; it may just be the most reasonable thing you've said all day. As for everything else… how do you expect to get your hands on the Dark and Light Stones? Do you know how well protected they are?_"

"I can't say I know where the Dark Stone is located," said N, "but I believe its opposite may be in reach. I've been doing plenty of research on the subject. Trust me: I know what I'm talking about."

"_Well, what good would it be if you only had the Light Stone? I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have any luck if you tried fusing only Reshiram with Kyurem. Even if you did find both of the Stones, do you really expect that the dragons will think an extremist like you is a hero? And in case you didn't realize, there's a reason why the people of Lacunosa Town are so freaked out by Kyurem. It's a fricking man-eating monster. You'd probably be in the thing's stomach before you got a chance to figure out if it's actually part of the Great Dragon. It's just a myth, anyway; it's likely that it's not even true. If you want to waste your time and risk your life on this crap, go ahead. I won't stop you._"

An idea had crossed N's mind, which made it difficult for him to pay attention to the hybrid's scornful drawl. The creature standing in front of him, the creature that he had been debating with for the past several minutes, was assuming the shape of a Zekrom—the dragon whose soul had formed the missing Dark Stone. N didn't understand the physiology of hybrids, or how they were able to exist in the first place. He knew the hybrid wasn't the real Zekrom, but could he possibly be used in place of the Dark Stone? If he could use the hybrid instead, he would be saved from a lot of work and research. _That's wrong, though,_ N told himself. _I would be using an altered organism as a shortcut, just like what I was intended to do with Genesect. This is different, though. He isn't suffering, so it would be immoral to put him to death. If anything, I'd be giving this broken creature purpose. If I can get him to work with Team Plasma, he could be carefully monitored so he doesn't hurt anyone or anything. If this works, I think I may have deduced the perfect solution._

"You," N gasped abruptly, cutting off the ranting hybrid, "you're Zekrom."

The Zekrom gave him a funny look. "_It took you this long to figure that out?_" He paused, cold realization dampening his expression. "_Wait a second. Oh boy, I don't like the sound of this._"

"I've reached my verdict. I'm sparing you," the king of Team Plasma announced. "In your current state, you are an outcast to society. There's no way you'd be able to fit in among humans. If you work with me, you'll have something to live for. You'll be given purpose, reason—just like I was when Ghetsis took me in. Together, we'll accomplish something great."

The hybrid grinned sardonically. "_You're nuts, you know that? Absolutely nuts. Me, being used to reconstruct the Great Dragon? That's crazy talk. What makes you think I'll function like the real Zekrom? I'm not the real Zekrom. I'm just a human, a human who looks like Zekrom._"

"I'm not sure, not yet. Right now, there's no way to prove that you won't be able to be used in the creation of the Great Dragon. If I'm wrong, I'll try again. There's no harm in that, is there? I'll never stop following my dream until it comes true." N smiled brightly, ignoring the Zekrom's bewildered voice. "Have you ever had a dream? Something you crave so desperately, but it never seems to be in reach? Something you'd be willing to sacrifice anything for? Don't you know how it feels? It might be a massive struggle, but it's worth it to see all your hard work pay off in the end. Nothing beats the sweet taste of success."

The hybrid peered out of the gap in the wall, as if something outside had caught his attention. He scoffed, "_Of course I had a dream. I wanted to research Pokémon, and perhaps become a Pokémon doctor like my mom and dad. But that's all gone now. When I first found out that I had become a hybrid, I was amazed. Heck, I was overjoyed. I thought of it as a unique research opportunity—I mean, how often do people get to see through the eyes of a Legendary Pokémon? But damn it, it got old real fast. After being pummeled by boulders, having my wings and ass scorched, receiving death threats, learning that I'll never get to return to my normal life, and being dragged into some crazy experiment, I'm not exactly digging it anymore. You've gotta stop living with your head in the clouds, buddy. Dreams don't always come true._"

The grunt named Dragon slunk through the hole, his shoulders hunched and his head bent forward. The way he held himself made it evident that he had failed. "Lord N," he said quietly, "Genesect got away. There was nothing I could do to stop it."

"What do you mean?" N inquired, concerned. The grunt's sudden arrival had distracted him from the hybrid's story. "What happened?"

"Ghetsis took it. He made his Hydreigon carry it away, and I don't know where they went." Dragon was very jumpy, like he was afraid to say anything else.

The Zekrom smirked contemptibly and gave N a derisive look, which caused the king of Team Plasma to scowl. "I don't understand," he muttered plainly, trying to avoid egging the hybrid on. "Thank you, Dragon. I am grateful for your effort. Since you're already here, can I ask something of you?"

"What is it, my lord?" Dragon looked frightened.

N replied with a warm smile, "I think it's finally time to put my plan in motion. I want you to retrieve the Light Stone."


	25. Shapeshifter

Dusk had settled upon the forest, leaving the sky a dark shade of lavender. Tiny stars were visible through gaps in the boughs of the trees. The air had grown considerably cooler, making Destiny wish she was wearing a jacket. The hybrid hoped they would find the building soon; something was awfully unsettling about the idea of roaming the forest in the night. _This is something I'll probably have to get used to,_ she realized somberly. _On the bright side, I'm not alone. I can't imagine what I'd do if I was in this by myself._

Destiny was beginning to feel like a useless tagalong. Aurelia and Colby both had important roles to fulfill—Aurelia had declared herself leader of the ragtag group, and offered to guide the others with the experience she had gained as a Pokémon trainer. If she found her belongings in the building, she'd also be able to provide protection in the form of her well-trained Pokémon. Colby, a normal human, was the only one who could safely travel to the Poké Mart and retrieve food and whatever else they needed to survive. What did Destiny have to offer to the group? Absolutely nothing.

She was relieved to have finally found out the secret behind her transformation, but at the same time it puzzled her. Colby's explanation had been very brief and hazy, and a number of questions still lingered in Destiny's head. One of the things that confused her the most was what she had turned into. According to Colby, the hybrids had been fused with Legendary Pokémon. Even though Destiny knew very little about Pokémon, Legendary Pokémon were considered deities and just about everyone could identify most of them. Destiny was certain that there wasn't a Legendary Pokémon that looked like a purple insect. Even if she was simply being forgetful, neither Aurelia nor Colby were able to recognize the creature she had changed into—and they were Pokémon trainers. Even more surprisingly, they both insisted that the creature wasn't a Pokémon in the first place.

Destiny was honestly scared by the revelation that Team Plasma was set on hunting her down. She felt like a fugitive who had committed murder. She didn't understand why Lynn had labeled the hybrids as threats—Destiny thought they were more likely to endanger themselves than hurt others. Colby had also mentioned that the hybrids were created in order to take down Team Plasma, but this came as news to Destiny. Whoever had been behind the creation of the hybrids obviously hadn't informed them of their mission—or anything, for that matter. If the hybrids didn't even know what their purpose was, why should Team Plasma bother trying to capture them?

Even though Aurelia had merely been tricking Lynn into letting her escape, her argument about whether it's worth it to live as a hybrid led Destiny to question her state of mind. It was true—unless there was a way for her to turn back to normal, she'd spend the rest of her life wandering the wilderness in constant fear. What compelled her to keep living? Was it only because she feared death?

"I wonder if there's any food in that building. I'm starving, and I don't want to have to wait for Colby to fetch us something to eat," Aurelia muttered. Destiny and her companions had begun their walk to the building. Destiny had no idea which direction it was in, but Aurelia seemed to know the way.

"I'm hungry, too," Destiny mumbled in response. When was the last time she had eaten? She had no idea how long she had been away from home. It saddened her to think that she'd probably never see her parents again. If she was in a forest north of Mistralton City, her house wasn't very far away—but Destiny knew that she could never go back there as a hybrid. _Mom and Dad are probably worried sick… I wonder if they're looking for me. I wish I could let them know that I'm all right. _

"So, you woke up in a building?" Colby asked inquisitively.

"Yeah," answered Destiny. "It beats me why there's a building as large as that one out in the middle of nowhere. It reminded me of a recently abandoned hospital. I was in this huge room with a ton of other kids; I'm guessing they were all hybrids as well. All of them were asleep. It was weird."

"I'm surprised we haven't run into other hybrids," Aurelia said. "Well, if we do, we're not going to let them follow us around. Our group is large enough, and we don't want to draw attention to ourselves."

"Good point," Destiny replied quietly. She was surprised to see that Aurelia was such a knowledgeable leader; judging by the pessimistic attitude she displayed in her Arceus form, Destiny expected her to drag the group behind. It was also awfully unlike her to care about the others. _She probably realized just how important Colby is to our survival, so of course she'll try to get along with him. I have a feeling she still doesn't like me… I'm not very fond of her myself, but if she keeps acting like this, maybe I'll gain a bit of respect for her._

"Well, here we are," Aurelia announced. The large brick building loomed over the three of them, bringing back memories Destiny wished she could've forgotten. _I can't believe it hasn't even been one day yet. It feels like I woke up in there forever ago._ If Destiny had her way, she'd avoid the building at all costs. She got bad vibes from the structure and felt like there was something awfully ominous about it—this, of course, stemmed from the dread she had felt when she found herself there that morning.

Aurelia swept aside overgrown weeds as she led the others around the side of the building. "The door should be around here somewhere," she stated. The Arceus hybrid grinned at the sight of a pair of sturdy doors and hurried to shove them open.

_It's a good thing the lights are on in this place. It'd be awful to snoop around here in the dark,_ Destiny thought as she stepped through the doorway. She stared down the long hallway, frowning as she remembered her struggle to find the way out earlier. "What are we going to do? Should we split up?"

"No, let's stick together. If any of those Plasma goons or "aggressive" hybrids happen to be strolling around, we'll need everyone's support," Aurelia responded. "Besides, whenever people split up in movies, something goes wrong."

Destiny chuckled. "So you think fictional movies are a reliable source of survival tips?"

"Sorry. My brother used to watch movies all the time, and… forget it." Aurelia rolled her eyes. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to split up. This place is pretty big, so it'd take forever to search the entire thing if we didn't go off on our own. And even if we were together, we'd still probably be screwed if we ran into something dangerous." The Arceus hybrid gazed down the long hallway. "So, there are three wings. I'll search this one, you can look through the one in the middle, and Colby can take the one at the far end. Sound like a plan?"

"Sure," Destiny unenthusiastically murmured in agreement. _I like how she claimed the wing closest to the exit for herself._ Aurelia nodded assertively, and the three set off for their respective halls.

Destiny turned the corner and yanked open the first metal door she saw. She peered into the room curiously, and to her disappointment it was empty. The floor looked like it hadn't been dusted in years, and the walls were covered in old glue stains._ Yuck. Whoever turned us into hybrids certainly didn't put a lot of care into keeping this place._ Destiny walked over to the door across from the last room, and again, there was absolutely nothing inside.

After looking through several other rooms, Destiny noticed the heavy steel door that led to the room the hybrids had been assembled in. The door was still hanging open, just like it had been when she last saw it. _I wonder if anyone's still in there._ The hybrid walked over to it and poked her head through the doorway.

Lying in the center of the room was what had once been a large, blue-furred Pokémon—Suicune, a Legendary Pokémon from the Johto region. Its eyes had glazed over and its tongue lolled out of its mouth. Blood had pooled around its body, dyeing parts of its fur a deep shade of red. The creature's belly was sliced open and its innards had spilled onto the floor. A chunk of its neck had been torn away, revealing its battered spine.

A black, draconic creature stood over the slaughtered Suicune—a Zekrom. Dangling from its massive jaws were stringy strips of flesh and clumps of sky blue fur. It tossed its head back to swallow, and then dove into the Suicune's body for another bite. The Zekrom clenched its teeth around a flap of skin and ripped it back, exposing a layer of bloody meat. Swiping its tongue around its jaws, it plunged its face into the corpse and ravenously devoured the Suicune's flesh.

Destiny stared in horror, trying her best to avoid letting a scream escape her lips. The scene confused her almost as much as it terrified her. The two creatures were undoubtedly hybrids, and Destiny knew from experience that hybrids retained their human minds while transformed. Why in the world would a hybrid murder and cannibalize another hybrid?

The Zekrom raised its head, flaring its nostrils. It locked eyes with Destiny and bared its bloodstained teeth aggressively. Destiny fell backwards, finally releasing an earsplitting scream.

"What happened?" Aurelia's voice rang out as she casually strolled up behind her. The dragon craned its neck and let out a monstrous roar, instantly catching the Arceus hybrid's attention. "Well," Aurelia mumbled flatly, "now I see what Lynn meant when she said hybrids could be dangerous."

A thought suddenly surfaced in Destiny's mind: Colby had mentioned that Lynn told him the Zekrom hybrid had been captured. Was it possible that the murderous black dragon wasn't a hybrid? It'd make no sense for it to be anything else, but it also made no sense that a human-minded creature would eat one of its kind. "I don't think that's a hybrid," she admitted bravely.

"Oh?" Aurelia knit her brows. "Why would you say that? Yeah, because the real Zekrom hasn't been dead for centuries, and of course it would choose to hang out in a place crawling with kids who can turn into Legendary Pokémon."

"Colby said Team Plasma caught the Zekrom hybrid," Destiny explained, ignoring the Arceus hybrid's sarcasm.

"Then there's obviously more than one Zekrom hybrid," Aurelia growled. "I think I know why it's acting that way. When I was Arceus, there was a point where I blacked out for a few seconds. Well… that's probably not the right term. I was fully conscious, but I wasn't me. It was like Arceus was speaking through me. I don't know how that would've worked, and I thought nothing of it. But after seeing this, it makes a little more sense. I think a hybrid's Pokémon instincts take over sometimes. That Zekrom clearly isn't in the right mind."

"Does it even matter what it is and why it's eating that other hybrid?" Destiny whimpered. "Shouldn't we focus on getting away from it before it kills us, too?" The hybrid would've run away, but she didn't want to leave Aurelia behind. _I can't believe her! She's gawking at it like it's an animal in a zoo! Hybrid or not, that thing butchered another hybrid! It's like she's ignoring that the Suicune was once a human being, and that it could've been one of us!_

"It's not interested in us," Aurelia told her. "Think of it as an animal on the brink of starvation. It wouldn't normally resort to killing and eating another Pokémon, but that's what its hunger has driven it to do. It's going to be protective of its kill, but it has no reason to attack us. As long as we leave it alone, we should be fine." The Zekrom stepped over the corpse, fanning out its wings. Trumpeting loudly, it took lumbering gaits toward the door.

"You were saying?" Destiny cried, scooting away.

"All right, so maybe I'm not an expert on Pokémon behavior." Aurelia slammed the door, not showing any sign of fear. "We should probably go now." Before either of them had a chance to move, a paper-thin purple sheet slid out from under the door. It expanded into a gelatinous blob-shaped figure, and a simple face bubbled out of its center. The creature squeaked as stubby arms formed from its sides.

"Is that a Ditto?" Destiny squealed, watching as the Pokémon waved its arms happily.

"Okay, I guess you were right about it not being a hybrid. But what the hell is a Ditto doing in here?" The Ditto squirmed over to Aurelia, examining her with its beady eyes. "I had no idea Ditto were carnivorous. I guess their diets are as versatile as their appearances. It's crazy to think this little guy was what we just saw chewing up that hybrid. He's not so mighty now, is he? Maybe my theory was partially correct… he doesn't look like he wants to eat us. In fact, he looks pretty friendly."

_He's probably contemplating eating you,_ Destiny thought sullenly. _Maybe this is why I didn't become a trainer. I actually have common sense. Why would you want to be around creatures that might turn and bite your head off one day? The bonds humans supposedly make with Pokémon… how do they work? I don't get it. _

"Why is this thing staring at me? It's making me uncomfortable," Aurelia murmured, turning away from the Ditto. The Transform Pokémon crawled in front of her and started making cheerful purring sounds. It then stretched its amorphous body as it quickly molded itself into a bipedal figure. Destiny bit her lip when she immediately recognized several of the creature's features—the Ditto had turned itself into the Pokémon she transformed into.

_Is that really what I looked like?_ Destiny thought sickly, wincing as she scanned its bulging red eyes and toothy grin. _I don't blame Aurelia for making fun of me. How did I end up getting stuck as that monster? It's not even a Legendary Pokémon. Why couldn't I have been a Victini or a Latias? _

"Hey, I think you've got the wrong person. Bug-girl's over there." Aurelia hastily pointed over her shoulder. "Wait a second. Ditto learn to transform into things by seeing them… how did this guy know what that thing looks like? I assumed he knew how to turn into Zekrom because he saw the Zekrom hybrid. Were you in here when you turned into the bug?"

"No, I was right where you found me," Destiny whispered, alarmed. _Could there have been more than one hybrid fused with that thing? Colby made it sound like there was only one of each._

"Huh," Aurelia mumbled, crossing her arms. "I guess that thing isn't as obscure as I thought. What the hell is it?" The Ditto glanced at Destiny, and then turned back to Aurelia. It tipped its head to the side in confusion. "Why is he so interested in me? It's like he thinks I'm his trainer. I'd love to catch him, but I'm kind of still missing my bag. It'd be nice to own a Ditto like him… maybe I could train him to eat Plasma freaks." Aurelia stepped away from the Ditto, only for it to follow her. "We need to keep looking. I wonder if Colby's having any luck. How didn't he hear you scream? I was probably the same distance away from you, and I felt like my eardrums were going to burst."

Destiny watched silently as Aurelia strolled toward her wing with the Ditto behind her. _I really don't feel comfortable being in the same building as that man-eating glob of gelatin. He is acting unusually friendly towards her, but I bet he's just trying to catch her off guard. He's going to kill her… I know it. But how can we get rid of that thing? It can turn into anything it's seen, and luckily for us we happened to find it in a building that was full of Legendary Pokémon!_ She stood up and hesitantly trudged up to another metal door. _If Aurelia catches it, then we should have nothing to worry about. I really hope we find her bag soon… I hate this place. _


	26. Substitution

There was a blank expression plastered on Dragon's face. "I'm sorry; I don't think I heard you correctly. Could you please repeat that?" The grunt knew very well what his leader had said, but the words weren't anything he would've expected to have directed at him. Said to contain the soul of the Legendary Pokémon Reshiram, the Light Stone was a fabled relic that was supposedly locked away in a hidden location. He was aware that N had an interest in this artifact, but why in the name of Arceus would the king of Team Plasma instruct Dragon, a lowly grunt, to find it for him? Weren't there better people for the job?

_Maybe_, Dragon thought, _it's because he's afraid to trust anyone else_. After discovering that the Seven Sages were working on several controversial projects behind his back, it'd be no surprise if N was reluctant to ask the higher-ups for help. Out of all the people he had spoken with upon returning from his research trip, Dragon was the only one who was truly loyal to him. _It's bold of him not to suspect me of anything, though. What if it turned out that I was lying about what happened to Genesect? _

"I want you to get the Light Stone for me," N repeated with added zeal. "I know this is sudden, but I'd like to see my dream come to life as soon as possible. Now that I've found an alternative resource to use in place of the Dark Stone, we're this much closer to making it happen." He motioned toward Ben, who shook his head resentfully. "Once the Light Stone is in my possession, I'll have access to all the required materials I need to construct my new world."

"You're going to use the hybrid as a replacement for the Dark Stone?" Dragon blurted, eyeing the Zekrom apprehensively. There was something strange about his leader's plan—just moments ago, he had flown into a rage over how the genetically modified Genesect was supposed to be used to accomplish his goals. What made the hybrid different from Genesect? In the end, he was still using a scientifically altered organism to get what he wanted. Dragon didn't like the idea of the nonconformist king succumbing to what he so defiantly opposed.

Ben chortled throatily. "_That's what he thinks. The guy's mad, I tell you. I've been trying to explain that it won't work, but he doesn't want to listen. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose._" He wasn't concerned in the slightest that N was right in front of him.

"Ah, but, my friend, you've closed off your mind from creativity in all its forms!" N retaliated in a sing-song manner. "You let only what you've learned guide you—you aren't willing to draw upon what you know to formulate new ideas. The world holds many mysteries; there are so many things that haven't been discovered yet, and it would take only a pinch of imagination to find them. You said you wanted to be a Pokémon researcher, a scientist, didn't you? What good is a scientist who refuses to experiment?"

"_I think you're missing the point,_" Ben grumbled, edgily tapping his foot against the floor. "_Your way of thinking is as illogical as giving an Everstone to a Magikarp. There comes a point when things go from rational to ridiculous, and you've transcended that boundary._"

"You're right; it doesn't make sense. But if you stop and think about it, there are so many other things that are the same way. For example, how can a human transform into a Legendary Pokémon? It wouldn't seem possible, but it is. On a greater scale, why was I born? Why am I Natural Harmonia Gropius, the king of Team Plasma? Why does our world, our universe exist? We're all caught up in an intertwining web of enigmas, and because of that our world is so beautiful and mysterious. Take a good look around you—really think about what you see. There are some things that science just can't explain. I am so grateful that I am alive, and that I am able to witness these many mysteries with my own eyes. But at the same time, part of me loathes this world. It is tainted, impure—but then again, that's part of the system. There is no good without evil; no lies without truth; no white without black. It's all relative—we live in a world of balance."

The Zekrom shook his head in annoyance. "_I've noticed you have a problem with rambling. You start talking, and then you just don't shut up. What's worse is that you speak faster than anybody I've ever met. When you're into it, I can barely understand what you're saying._"

"It's a bad habit of mine," N said as he turned to Dragon, eager to end his pointless debate with the hybrid. "Well, what do you say? If you're not up to it, I can get somebody else to do it."

"I-it would be an honor, my lord," the grunt answered nervously. He had no idea what he'd have to do to get the Light Stone, but after losing Genesect, there was no way he could afford to fail his king again. Dragon was still uneasy about N's plan for Ben, but he decided not to dwell on it. _He said himself that nothing's purely black or white. If he wants to make the world a better place, I guess not everything can be perfect. Using Ben is probably a better idea than using Genesect, since there's no way for Genesect to speak its mind. Ben doesn't seem very happy about this, but it looks like he's still willing to work with us._

"Excellent," N praised, beaming. "I've learned that the Light Stone is hidden within the Dragonspiral Tower, north of Icirrus City."

"_Why, would you look at that? The place has your name right on it,_" Ben commented slyly. "_I'm from Icirrus. I never would've suspected that the Light Stone of all things was kept in that old, crumbling castle. Perhaps that's why it's strictly off limits. The kids at school used to say the place was haunted, and that anyone who trespassed would die a horrible death. They'd say a friend of a friend sneaked in one night and never returned. I should've known there was a better reason for no one being allowed to visit._"

"If that's true, won't I get in trouble?" Dragon asked worriedly. _I don't want to be a criminal. Maybe I'm not the right guy for the job after all._

"_Well, it's not like they've got a guard standing out there twenty-four seven. It's pretty much common knowledge that you shouldn't trespass. The place is dangerous, y'know. The old thing might collapse any day now, and who knows what kind of Pokémon could be lurking in there._" Ben had his arms crossed. "_If it wasn't obvious, it's still not a wise idea to go snooping around in there. What's more valuable to you: your life, or a dusty old artifact you won't be able to do anything with?_"

"I think I'll take the risk," Dragon answered huffily, sticking out his chest. _Someone's already threatening to kill me if I say too much. What's to lose? I'm ready to do whatever it takes to prove my loyalty to Lord N._

"I greatly appreciate it. You'll see your efforts pay off when black and white are truly separated, and Pokémon are ensured liberation and salvation. With your help, my dream will finally be in reach!" There was something satisfying about seeing his leader so ecstatic and joyful, especially after he learned he had been betrayed by the officials working under him. Dragon shared N's jovial smile. "We should return to headquarters. I've got a lot of announcements and preparations to make."

Dragon grimly glanced down at the Poké Ball on his belt. "Archeops is tired, though. I don't think he'd be able to fly me there."

"No need to fret. There's enough room in the plane for a few extra passengers," N explained. "I don't believe in using Pokémon for transportation, anyway."

"_What about me?_" The Zekrom resumed tapping his foot on the ground. "_I have a suspicion that you wouldn't be okay with me flying there by myself. Even then, I don't think my wings are exactly in shape for flying, thanks to Dragon. I can't say I'm comfortable with flying yet, either._"

"I'm sure there will be enough space," N insisted.

Ben snorted, "_I hope so._"

N led the grunt and the hybrid out of the laboratory and to the plane. It was smaller than Dragon had expected, and Ben appeared to be distraught by its size. Eying the tiny door grouchily, he hollered, "_There's no way I'm going to fit in there. It's just not happening._"

"I'm sure you can," N encouraged cheerfully.

"_Fine, fine, I'll try. But if anything breaks, it's not my fault._" Ben reluctantly stomped up to the plane. Folding his wings, he twisted his torso sideways and squeezed through the entrance. The little plane bounced with each step he took as he hauled his heavy body into the back. Dragon let the king of Team Plasma board next, and then he hopped in himself. He immediately looked at the pilot's face, eager to see her reaction to watching a Legendary Pokémon enter her plane. To his surprise, she didn't look the slightest bit alarmed. Dragon thought the magenta-haired young woman looked familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on where he might've seen her before.

The passenger area resembled the inside of a posh school bus, with two rows of burgundy leather seats and small porthole windows. Dragon's face instantly crinkled into a look of ridicule when he caught sight of the Zekrom in the back row. Lying on his belly, his massive form took up all the seats. The side of his face was pressed against a window; his breath had fogged up the glass. His limbs limply dangled at his side, and the tip of his tail scraped the roof. He gave a cheeky grin when he noticed that the grunt was staring at him. Dragon rolled his eyes and sat across the aisle from N in the front row.

The entirety of the trip was silent. N had pulled out a stack of papers and flipped through them restlessly, and even the loud-mouthed Ben managed to keep his trap shut. Dragon nearly drifted off to sleep on several occasions—much like Archeops, he was exhausted. He found the ride to be relaxing; it was much smoother than riding on his Pokémon's back.

"_Where exactly are we?_" Ben anxiously demanded when the plane landed, his eyes glued to the window.

"We're by the Pokémon League," N told him, setting aside his papers. "In fact, the Team Plasma headquarters are right beneath it."

"_So, you're literally an underground organization? I like it._" Ben stretched as he began to stand up, only to smack his head on the ceiling. "_Ow, that's the second time that's happened today. I ought to learn to be more careful._" He glanced at N. "_Where am I going to be staying? I don't get my own room, do I?_"

N chuckled. "Don't worry; I have something in mind for you."

Dragon gave his leader one last look as he exited the plane. _Could it really be true that he's just a figurehead? He's clearly doing something. I wonder if Ghetsis even truly knows what he has planned. What will Ghetsis do when, or if, Lord N succeeds?_ He walked toward the headquarters at a slow pace. _I wonder if I made the right decision in not telling Lord N about what Ghetsis said. I don't see the harm in not telling him. One way or another, Lord N will stop at nothing to accomplish his goals. It's already pretty clear to him that he's been deceived. _

The first thing Dragon saw when he entered the base was a blonde-haired grunt. She was leaning against the wall, a scowl creasing her face. She took one look at him and scoffed, "You look pretty beat up. Dare I ask what the hybrids did to you?"

Dragon narrowed his eyes. "Nothing happened to me. The hybrid I caught gave me an easy time, actually."

The female grunt wrinkled her nose. "Oh, so you're the kid who caught the Zekrom hybrid? Tch, I thought you'd be more to look at. They call you Dragon, right? How unfortunate. My name is Lynn."

Dragon frowned. "Does that mean no one else has had any luck catching any?" _If I'm the only person who's managed to capture a hybrid, maybe the other grunts will think I'm a celebrity. This chick doesn't, but she also doesn't seem to be in a very good mood._

"Surprisingly," Lynn muttered. "Everybody's getting hurt. I encountered a couple of hybrids, but one of them nearly killed my darling Galvantula! The poor girl's been left with brain damage, and she's blind in one eye. I can't believe those monsters! What's worse is that the hybrid wasn't even transformed when it dealt the blow—I can't imagine what would've happened if it was in its Pokémon form. It was an Arceus hybrid, too—that's gotta be worth a lot of points."

_This is just wrong. People and Pokémon are getting injured over this? How did I manage to get so lucky with the hybrid I found?_ Dragon's frown grew bigger. _The way she's treating this job is disgusting. She's making it sound like the hybrids' lives are equal to points in a video game. She's completely disregarding that they're still living things. They're not monsters; they're people like us. It's no wonder that they're hurting the people who are trying to capture them. They just don't want to die._ The grunt winced as he thought back to when he first caught Ben. _I treated him like an animal, too. I was the same way. But once I got to know him… once I realized he was human, everything changed. I wish everyone could experience what I went through._

Dragon's expression abruptly curved into a meek smile. "I should be going. I've got a lot to do tomorrow."

Lynn closed her amber eyes. "Good luck, I guess."

Dragon yawned as he slunk off towards the dorm rooms. _I'm certainly going to need it, _he thought. He was still apprehensive about the assignment, but he figured it would be better than hunting down more hybrids. _Anything's better than that. I don't want to hurt anyone; I definitely don't want to kill anyone. All I want is to make a difference in the world. _

The grunt pulled out Archeops's Poké Ball as he flopped into his bunk. Tucking himself in, he sent out the feathered creature. Archeops stood on his bed post, tilting its head to the side as it eyed its trainer curiously.

Dragon grabbed a plastic bag from underneath his bed. "I know we didn't catch Genesect, but that's not our fault. You did an awesome job today, buddy. You deserve this." Archeops licked its lips as the grunt scooped up a handful of Babiri Berries. The First Bird Pokémon glided up to Dragon's hand and swiftly devoured its favorite fruit. After its trainer patted its head, Archeops curled up at his feet.

"Get lots of rest, Archeops. We've got a big day ahead of us."


	27. Chrysalis

**[Author's note:**_** As a warning, this chapter contains a bit of violence and gore. It's nothing too bad, but you might want to skip this one if you're super squeamish. I consulted my friends about if the story's rating should be changed, and we all agreed that it's still appropriate for a T audience as long as a warning is given. If you disagree, please say so in a review or private message. Thank you for reading!**_**]**

The room was cluttered. Stacks of papers and files sat on the floor, collecting dust. Empty beakers were carelessly strewn about a stainless steel counter in the corner. A crinkled paper bag and a tattered journal rested on top of another table.

Colby shut the door as he strolled in, marveling at what lay in front of him. _What is all of this stuff? _He curiously grabbed one of the beakers. Holding it up to his face, he gazed through it like it was a kaleidoscope. _This is like a mad scientist's laboratory!_ The young trainer picked up a pile of papers and shuffled through it absently, confused by the convoluted vocabulary. He speedily skimmed through the words, occasionally picking up appropriately familiar terms such as "formula" and "hybrid". It didn't take long for the boy to realize he was reading documents about the creation of the hybrids.

According to his friends, this was where the hybrids had woken up that morning. Was this only an abandoned building their creator hid them in, or had he created them there as well? All of the evidence seemed to point to the latter, which caused a glimmer of an idea to surface in his head: What if there was some of the formula left over? His childish dream of becoming a Pokémon hybrid might've been in reach.

The boy's inquisitive gaze instantly flew over to the paper bag. _What could this be?_ He crept up to it and gave it a small shake, as if it were another one of his birthday presents. Slowly, he pulled the bag open and reached inside. His fingers closed around something smooth and cylindrical, and he withdrew it in elation. Tightly gripped in his hand was a syringe filled with oily liquid, which couldn't have been anything but the fabled formula.

"Oh, Arceus!" he choked to himself, staring at the syringe in disbelief. "Is this… is this really it?" In his hand, Colby held a gateway—the difference between the life he had always led, and a thrilling new opportunity. He never thought he'd be able to get his hands on a sample of this formula, and there it was, sitting right in front of him. _This is too good to be true. Is there any way I can make sure this is really what I think it is?_ The trainer's eyes landed on the journal, which had been flipped open to a page near the middle. He read through the messy cursive excitedly, skipping over every other word.

_The Legendary Lugia of Johto is a highly intelligent creature that dwells at the bottom of the ocean, for it fears it may not be able to control its inconceivable power. Associated with typhoons and mighty winds, Lugia is a serene, elusive beast that hides itself from civilization. It is considered a blessing when Lugia breaches, as it is such a rarity. Very few people have managed to see Lugia in their lifetimes._

_Dr. Melissa H. Kinsey is an esteemed Lugia expert who works at a coastal research facility located in the Whirl Islands. She and her team have tracked and studied the sea beast for years, and they have managed to obtain a sample of its DNA. Dr. Kinsey has taken an interest in my research and she has volunteered both herself and Lugia's data for my project. She will become the first successful human-Pokémon hybrid. I am very confident in this batch of the formula—I have perfected it, freed it from any flaws. Under normal circumstances, it would be incredibly risky to work with a Pokémon with an internal skeleton, but there is no need to worry. Dr. Kinsey will be very pleased with the results. _

_I'm certain that my love will be pleased as well._

Colby held his breath in astonishment, lifting his head from the notebook. _This is it,_ Colby concluded, his eyes wide with awe. He swirled the syringe around in his hand, mesmerized. According to the journal, this small vial would fuse him with the powerful Lugia. The trainer could already picture himself in the form of the impressive white Pokémon. He tried to imagine what it would be like to effortlessly soar among the clouds and gracefully dive into the sea, or whip up tempests with a flap of his wings. He seemed to ignore all the dangers and hardships that went along with being a hybrid.

Pulling out Sandile's Poké Ball, he exclaimed, "Come on out! You won't want to miss this!" His Pokémon appeared on the ground and tilted its head to the side, giving him a shifty look. "I'm going to be a Pokémon, just like you! How cool is that?" The Desert Croc Pokémon scuttled behind him, clearly not sharing his enthusiasm.

Unconcerned, Colby stretched out his left arm and held the syringe over the crook of his elbow. _Is this how you do it? I remember seeing bandages over Destiny and Aurelia's arms._ Something suddenly occurred to the boy, and he hesitated before the tip touched his skin. In his exhilaration, the reason he was in the room in the first place had completely slipped from his mind. As a normal human, he was the only one who could provide Aurelia and Destiny with food or anything else they needed. They relied on him; he was a vital part of the group. If Colby became a hybrid, he'd be in the same boat as they were. Could he really let his friends down like that? He had already failed them once—what would happen if he made a daring move like this?

The boy narrowed his eyes, another thought crossing his mind. _I think I deserve to make this choice. I know I offered to help them, but Aurelia and Destiny expect me to follow them around and buy them food for Arceus knows how long. They never asked if I was okay with that. It's like they think I'm their personal servant. It's true: I want to help them. I just wish they'd let me make my own decisions, so maybe I'd be able to think of something that would let me help them and pursue my dreams. Now I have a chance to think for myself and do what I want. Destiny and Aurelia aren't here, so they can't stop me._ Closing his eyes defiantly, he grimaced as he shoved the needle into his arm. He pushed on the plunger, releasing the formula into his body. Once the vial had been drained, the trainer winced as he pulled the needle out and set the syringe on the counter.

"Ow," he hissed, clutching his sore arm as an acute buzzing sensation began spreading through his body. _Is it happening already? Am I starting to transform?_ Colby inquired mentally, clenching his teeth. _No wonder Destiny and Aurelia hate this so much. It really hurts!_ The feeling continued to sharpen in his left arm, intensifying until the irritating buzz shifted into all-out pain. He examined his hand, and to his revulsion it was beginning to swell. _What is this?_ Colby cried in his head. _When Destiny and Aurelia transformed, their skin color was always the first thing to change. This isn't right at all! What's going on?_ Although Aurelia and Destiny displayed discomfort when they morphed, it seemed very different from the agony the boy was beginning to experience.

The skin on his hand was stretching, growing tauter and paler until it was nearly transparent. Colby could see milky white bones underneath it, and realized at once that they were the cause of the swelling. _Why is this happening?_ His skeletal hand suddenly broke through his skin, and a steady stream of scarlet blood trickled down his arm. _Arceus… Arceus!_ Colby, who was too petrified to scream, toppled onto his back and was met with a muffled squeal and a crunch. The trainer didn't care that he had fallen on top of his Pokémon. Nothing mattered—the only thing that was real to him was the pain.

Colby's bony fingers continued to elongate as the swelling spread across his arms and to his chest. He could only watch as his torso ballooned outward, rising as his ribs enlarged and his sternum forced it up. His chest finally split open, the flaps of flesh snapping back like strips of elastic. His still pulsating organs were exposed to the building's stale air, which was ripe with the nauseating stench of fresh blood. A dark red pool was beginning to form beneath his body, soaking his clothes and drenching the unmoving Sandile.

The vertebrae in his neck lengthened and expanded, ripping Colby's head from his shoulders and propelling it upward. A thick spray of blood exploded from his neck stump as his arteries were severed, and the sheer force of the tug caused his esophagus to snap in half like a frayed cable. At the same time, the coccyx at the opposite end of his spine extended into a powerful tail and tore through his backside.

His skull shifted into a crested snout and burst through his face, ripping through his chin and upper lip and drawing the soft tissue at the sides of his mouth apart. Colby's eyeballs flaccidly rolled into cavernous sockets, and a spiked protrusion burst through his scalp. His skin peeled back and drooped down his face as his cranium continued to widen.

It was impossible to tell when Colby's life had finally been yanked away from him, but all that remained of the boy was the perfectly formed skeleton of a Lugia rising from his tattered, mutilated remains like an insect that had emerged from its cocoon.

A journey begins and a journey ends; that is inevitable. Whether the goal is met is an entirely different story, however. The aspiring young trainer's hopes and ambitions had been slaughtered and crushed, just like the Sandile his body rested upon. Colby's persistent lack of proper judgment had already gotten him into trouble today, and now he had paid the ultimate price for his folly.

_The experiment was conducted. It was a failure. Dr. Kinsey… My eyes have seen things no human should ever have to witness, or experience for that matter. I promised her it would work, and she trusted me. I was too confident, too sure of myself. How could I have created this poison with my own hands? Now I'm just like them: a monster, a monster that corrupts and destroys innocent people. But unlike them, my work isn't "authorized". I'm practically a criminal, a murderer—it isn't fair. I have no choice but to continue my project in hiding, like a fugitive. I've stationed myself in an abandoned trainers' school deep within the forest north of Mistralton—I'm sure this building has faded from the memories of everyone in the Unova region. After what happened to Dr. Kinsey, there's no way I can look for volunteers. I'll have to resort to a more tactical approach._

_I still don't understand what I did wrong. Everything was perfect, flawless. There's only one tiny thing I can think of, and it will be a challenge to meet the requirements. But I will keep working on this project until I get it right, no matter what I have to go through. To me, it's worth it. Team Plasma will be sorry for what they did to her. _


	28. Retribution

"_A kid who can turn into a god reluctantly agrees to work with you, and you throw him in a dungeon. I'm astounded by your hospitality._"

After they had entered the Team Plasma headquarters, the leader of the organization led Ben down a flight of stairs and into a dank, musty-smelling room with moss-covered stone walls and a dirt floor. There were no windows, and only a dim, flickering light bulb provided brightness. Iron bars stretched from the ceiling to the ground in one side of the room, reminding Ben of a jail cell. The dark and miserable place's atmosphere seemed to conflict with N's unnervingly cheerful mannerisms.

"_What use would a Pokémon rights activist group get out of something like this, anyway? Is this where you lock up trainers who abuse their Pokémon, or is it just to go along with the dorky knight costumes everyone wears?_"

Unhinging the cell door, N said, "I can't say I know the purpose of this place—it's never been used before. Containing you may have been its destiny all along. There's no need to worry, though. I promise you'll be treated like a king. After all, you'll be just as much of a hero as I will." He stepped aside, gesturing for the Zekrom to enter. "I'm truly sorry about this. I'd let you stay somewhere else, but something tells me it wouldn't be the greatest plan to let you mingle with the grunts."

"_I can see why that would be a bad idea. Hey, man, I don't mind. I did ask for my own room, didn't I? As long as I get free room service, I'll be as happy as a Clamperl._" Ben approached the entrance, only to find that it was even smaller than the plane door. "_Geez, why don't the architects ever think of us Zekrom? Not everybody's less than seven feet tall._" He gawkily wriggled through the opening, taking care not to hit his head. "_So, got anything I could eat? I'm starving._"

"I'll see what I can do," N replied, shutting the door.

Ben sat on the ground. "_How sweet is this? I've got a king as a servant!_"

"I have no choice. Again, it would be risky if I let a grunt do the job."

The hybrid watched as N disappeared up the stairs, and then glumly lowered his head. _What in the world was I thinking? I knew this was a bad idea from the start, so why did I agree?_ There had been something oddly comforting about the king's offer to spare him, especially since he had been informed that he'd be killed moments earlier. The threat of death had been so close, so real; Ben didn't want to imagine what would've happened if he had declined. _Well, it could definitely be worse. I'll bide my time and make the best of the situation, and hopefully N will let me go when he realizes how crazy he is._

He lifted his arms and dug his claws into his palms. _Since I've got nothing better to do, I might as well do some practicing. _Ben had no real reason to learn how to hone his electrical powers, but the thought of being able to conjure lightning and storms was very appealing to the boy. He shut his eyes, focusing on only the energy that flowed within him. Crackling blue spheres of electricity appeared at his fingertips. Grinning with satisfaction, he let go and launched them into the wall. _That was pretty neat, but it pales in comparison to that move I pulled off before I got captured._

"Bravo," a voice called from the darkness. "Just try to be more observant of your surroundings, all right? I never had the chance to see my creations in action. It's amazing how far I've come. Truly stunning."

"_What?_" Ben whipped around, his face hot with embarrassment. "_Who said that?_"

A sigh sounded. "You're painfully oblivious. I suppose we both have that trait in common. The boy who calls himself king isn't much better. I would've preferred not to alert you of my presence, but it was inevitable that you'd discover me eventually."

The hybrid directed his gaze over to an old wooden chair in the corner of the cell, which seated a middle-aged man. Auburn hair hung over his piercing blue stare, and stubble covered his tired-looking face. There was something disquieting about his rugged, weary countenance—it appeared to be scarred by some kind of traumatizing event he couldn't bring himself to let go of.

_Son of a bitch! How didn't I notice him?_ Ben froze, absorbing what the older man had said. "_Hold on a second. Did you just call me your "creation"?_" He stepped closer to him, both awestruck and appalled. Dragon told him that the scientist had been captured; was this where he was being held? _Could it be? Is this really the nutcase who got me into this mess?_ Part of him wanted to take advantage of his hulking form and tear the treacherous man limb from limb, but he had a stronger desire to find out what exactly had been going through his mind.

The red-haired man hesitantly raised his hands in a yielding position, surprisingly calm about being confronted by a Legendary Pokémon. "I'm sorry," he pleaded in a voice drained of sincerity, as if he was uncertain about his statement.

"_Yeah, you better be. Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to kidnap teens off the street and make them into monsters? Do you have any idea what you've done?_" Ben aggressively curled back his lips and gnashed his pointed teeth.

"I'm sorry," he repeated in an equally unconvincing tone. "I'm so, so sorry."

"_Okay, I get it. Apologizing isn't going to cut it. You've got a lot of explaining to do. I want to know everything. It's not like we have anything better to do, so get talking._" The Zekrom swished his large tail back and forth like an irate cat.

"I don't know where to begin." The scientist dejectedly covered his face with his hands. "It's all a big, convoluted mess. I admit that I'm equally interested in finding out what the leader of Team Plasma wants with you."

Ben glared at him coldly.

The man lifted his head grudgingly, acknowledging that there was no way he'd be able to avoid answering the hybrid's questions. "My name is Dr. Kelvin C. Frater, but you should just call me Kelvin. After all that I've done, I'm not worthy of a title. I know it may mean nothing to you, but once again I want you to know that I am truly, deeply sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. When one's love intervenes, men become beasts. I suppose it is just human nature to use irrational means to set things right. Murder, crime, revenge… oftentimes, love is the force that triggers these heinous acts. It's a very profound emotion—it's impossible to understand unless you have been drawn into its illusion."

_What does love have to do with any of this?_ _Dragon said he was on bad terms with Team Plasma. _Ben had never thought about love before. He decided Kelvin was right; it didn't make any sense to him. The hybrid waited for the scientist to continue speaking, but to his frustration he remained silent. Ben noticed that he had turned his attention to something on the other side of the room.

"Is everything all right down there?" N returned, gripping a wide platter stacked high with an assortment of food in his hands. "I thought I heard something."

Ben scowled at Kelvin before approaching the iron bars. "_I'm fine. I was just having a conversation with myself_."

"Good to know that I'm not the only one who does that," N laughed, to which Ben responded with a look of derision. The king of Team Plasma opened the gate and slid the tray onto the cell floor. "I brought you everything I could scavenge from the kitchen. I assume this will be enough to sate your appetite?"

The Zekrom eyed the food, saliva welling in his mouth. "_Yeah, and then some._"

"Splendid. I'll make sure to check in on you every so often. With luck, it won't take very long for Dragon to retrieve the Light Stone."

Once N had left again, Ben grabbed a hold of the platter and brought it closer to Kelvin. Gazing at him expectantly, he picked out a cheese and tomato sandwich and crammed it down his gullet. "_Do they feed you in here?_"

"Ghetsis's cronies provide me with sustenance every few days, but as you might guess, it's not even close to the amount you were given." Kelvin raised a brow. "I hope you're planning on saving some of that for later. You wouldn't want to overeat."

"_You're not the boss of me_," Ben sneered, wolfing down a couple of biscuits. "_Besides, I'm Zekrom. I have a larger body than a human, so consequently I have a greater stomach capacity. What you might consider unhealthy is probably only a snack to Zekrom. I bet you just want me to leave you something to eat._" He took an orange and, having no desire to peel it, swallowed it whole. "_Now, why don't you get back to talking? You still haven't given me any answers. Why were you going on about love?_"

Kelvin rolled his eyes and shook his head. "To put things simply, Plasma turned my love into a monster."

"_Hoo boy, I can see how that could break a relationship. Those crazy activists take their work way too seriously, and it's even worse now that they're trying to murder us hybrids._" Ben munched on another sandwich as he wondered, _Is that really why he did this? He kidnapped and destroyed the futures of fifty-something kids just because he was upset about his girlfriend joining Team Plasma?_ Tearing out the man's throat seemed especially tempting to the hybrid.

The scientist sighed again. "That wasn't a metaphor. Plasma literally turned my girlfriend into a monster."

"… _Oh._" Ben stopped chewing. "_Considering what you did to me, I shouldn't have expected anything less. Why in the world would Team Plasma get involved in something like that, though? The leader seemed pretty distraught when he found out that a certain someone had created half-human, half-Pokémon hybrids. Then again, I can't make sense of anything that organization does. Why they would revive a long-dead insect and install a fricking cannon on its back is completely beyond me._"

A hint of a smile poked at the man's face. "Ah, so you've met her? It doesn't surprise me that Plasma's using thinly veiled excuses to hide who she really is."

"_You're telling me that GMP156 was your girlfriend?_" the Zekrom hollered. "_But that doesn't make any sense! I saw that thing, and there was nothing human about it!_"

"You can't always trust what your eyes perceive," Kelvin scorned, looking somewhat offended. "One may argue that you can no longer be considered human. But although you look like a beast, you still have a human soul, and my love is the same way."

Ben glanced down at his body, as if he had forgotten that he was assuming the shape of a Pokémon. "_What is she? Is she a hybrid like me? Can she turn back into a human?_"

"I suppose you could consider her a prototype hybrid," Kelvin explained. "I can't say I know why, but it was one of Plasma's goals to create a Pokémon with human intelligence. As a genetic engineer, that's where I came in. We were trying to design a formula that could allow a human to freely switch back and forth between his or her human shape and the shape of a Pokémon while retaining his or her intelligence. Our initial attempts were highly problematic—there was some kind of terrible malfunction in the formula that would result in a person's bones changing at a faster rate that the rest of his or her body. As you might guess, this was immensely painful and always resulted in death no matter what the shape of the Pokémon: those fused with large organisms would experience their bodies stretching until they could no longer withstand their rapidly expanding skeletal structures, and the skeletons of those fused with smaller creatures would penetrate or crush their internal organs as they shrank. It was a horrible, terrifying sight to see, and it was even worse to imagine the agony the volunteers went through.

"After losing a number of subjects, we began to reconsider our project. What would humankind want to gain from intelligent Pokémon at the price of so many lives? Alas, a handsome paycheck wiped away any doubts we may have had. We concluded that our only option was to use a creature that lacked an internal skeleton and was similar in size to the subject. Rather than using an existing Pokémon, we created an amalgamation of DNA from various Bug-type Pokémon with traits that would best benefit our project. Our creation was named GMP, which simply stands for _Genetically Modified Pokémon. _Though it would've actually had the index number 155, it was to be the one hundred fifty-sixth Pokémon registered in the Unova Pokédex.

"We were absolutely positive we would be successful this time, but in spite of this, we had no volunteers. On the day we were going to test the GMP156 formula, I was ill and had to stay in bed. If there's something I regret the most, it's not showing up for work that day. When I returned, I was met with a sight I will never forget. Her alterations made her barely recognizable, but I knew without a doubt that the misshapen mess before me couldn't be anything but my love. She was hooked up to an IV, on the verge of death. Her beautiful body had become withered and deformed; she wasn't quite human, and yet she hadn't turned into the Pokémon we designed. She was trapped in some sort of revolting intermediate stage—her internal skeleton had broken down, and a thin, translucent exoskeleton had grown over her. Her lower body had taken on the appearance of an insect's rounded abdomen. They ripped apart her vocal cords out of fear that she'd tell someone what happened to her and who was behind it. Those were the only changes; all in all, the formula was still a failure, the only exception being that the subject survived. I don't see why they didn't just kill her. I guess they thought she'd make a good base for the next stage of their disgusting experiment.

"It makes no sense why they decided to use her—a forty-three-year-old woman is hardly the optimal choice for an experiment of the type. It was as if they were trying to spite me for some unknown reason. I remember seeing her eyes… there was a pleading, sorrowful expression on her face. I vowed to avenge her then and there, and that was when I left Team Plasma for good. I knew those bastards were corrupt lunatics from the beginning, but this was completely unprecedented. Their sins wouldn't be left unpunished."

Ben resumed eating, trying his best to follow along with the words the heartbroken scientist was spouting. "_Your description of GMP156 doesn't match what I saw at all. It was a purple robot-looking thing with bulging red eyes and a cannon, not some kind of woman-insect crossbreed._"

"Precisely," mumbled Kelvin. "They continued to modify her long after her initial metamorphosis. They hid her broken body beneath a metal shell, modeled after what we intended for the GMP156 formula to produce. What you saw was a mere façade—those awful red eyes she seems to possess are only windows for her true eyes. The bulge atop her head houses her cranium, and her ear-to-ear grin is deceptive of how she's really feeling. The cannon on her back is what connects her body to the suit of armor she's been forced to wear, and it's also equipped with a number of devices that manage to keep her alive without the use of several of her organs. In a way, Plasma succeeded. They created a near perfect replica of GMP156, and gave it human intelligence to boot. Of course, the torture they put my love through to reach this is unforgivable."

Anger burned within the Zekrom's throat. "_Please,_" he hissed disdainfully. "_You're even more of a hypocrite than those Team Plasma goons. What about all those test subjects who were killed by your faulty formulas? Did their lives not matter? And how about us hybrids? Isn't it funny how you completely disregard ruining so many lives, but the moment your girlfriend gets involved, you jump to call Team Plasma evil? Hell, they didn't even kill her!_"

"This is exactly what I meant when I said love turns men into beasts. I know what I did was horrible, and if I haven't made it clear enough, I'm sorry. I wouldn't hesitate to reverse all of this if I could, but alas, that's impossible. I'm paying the price; I deserve to be locked up in here."

"_If I had my way, your punishment would be infinitely worse than this._" Ben fearsomely bared his teeth once more. "_Why are they even keeping you alive? What would Team Plasma want with a murderer like you?_"

"They want to know how I made the formula," Kelvin insisted. "They think they'll be able to squeeze that information out of me. If it wasn't obvious, I made some major improvements to it between when I saw what happened to my love and when I was captured, which is why you look the way you do. I managed to achieve results that met our aspirations nearly identically by altering the formula ever so slightly."

"_I was wondering how you managed to fuse kids with Legendary Pokémon. Go on._"

"The Pokémon Ditto is capable of rearranging its entire genetic structure to match what it sees. While most Ditto can only transform into something if they have a living model in front of them, a select few have evolved so that they may improvise. This enables the Ditto to turn into a very close replica of an organism if it is presented with, say, a photograph or video clip depicting the creature. I was able to obtain a pair of Ditto with this ability, and I used them to produce makeshift samples of DNA from each of the discovered Legendary Pokémon as well as a recreation of GMP156's DNA. As Ditto are naturally adept at smoothly changing between forms, its genetic information also helped me get past the issue I initially faced involving the organisms' skeletal structures."

"_Does that mean I'm not really Zekrom?_" Suddenly struck with a surge of disappointment, Ben lowered his head. "_But if what you're saying is true, how would a Ditto know that Zekrom has Electric-type powers based on just a picture of it? I doubt those things are that smart._"

"Correct. Technically, you are a Ditto hybrid," the red-haired man confirmed. "I made some adjustments to the formula that allow you to access the same kind of abilities Zekrom had, or else I trained the Ditto to add the desired moves to its repertoire. They are nowhere near as powerful as the moves a real Legendary Pokémon would possess, however."

"_No wonder I'm so weak,_" the hybrid grumbled. "_What compelled you to kidnap random teenagers? I understand why you wouldn't want to look for volunteers, but… why me?_"

"I felt as if using adolescents was the best choice for a variety of reasons. Firstly, people around your age are nearing their peak physical potentials. Additionally, most teenagers are off on their Pokémon journeys. It wouldn't be very suspicious if a number of them were kidnapped, because they're not expected to be at any particular place at any particular time. It's highly possible that some hybrids' disappearances still haven't been acknowledged. If I worked with adults, there'd be a chance that I'd be abducting a young child's mother or father, and that would be a problem."

"_I guess that makes sense,_" Ben snorted. "_Shame I'm not a Pokémon trainer. I'd hate to know what my parents are going through._"

"I wasn't responsible for the actual kidnapping, so I couldn't guarantee that all of my abductees were Pokémon trainers. I was happy with whoever I got. The men who brought me my subjects weren't cheap."

"_Hired thugs, eh? Smooth._" Ben turned his back to the scientist, signaling that there was nothing else he wanted to ask. The hybrid was having a hard time taking in everything Kelvin had thrown at him. _GMP156 is really a middle-aged woman… I'm fused with a Ditto… I'm locked in a cell with a dude who's killed countless people._ He wanted nothing more than to get some rest so he could fully process everything he had been told, but the idea of sleeping with Kelvin watching over him made him uncomfortable. _I hope N will show up again soon. Maybe I can get him to do something about this freak._ Keeping a watchful eye on the red-haired man, he lowered himself onto the ground and flipped onto his side, and was immediately struck by a wrenching pain in his abdomen.


	29. Lost and Found

"Looks like I hit the jackpot."

Aurelia wouldn't have been surprised if she was hallucinating. She hung by the doorframe in disbelief, stunned with bliss. The Ditto, still assuming the shape of the purple insect, made a crowing noise as it scrambled to peek past her.

The room, which Aurelia presumed had once been a storage closet, was lined with rows of shoddy-looking white shelves. Covering these shelves were stacks upon stacks of economy crates filled with something the girl felt like she hadn't seen in ages—food. Her mouth watered at the sight of cans of soup and bottled water and other things she would've thought of as unappetizing under normal circumstances. "Yo, Des!" she called, her voice stretched in exaggerated glee. "Get your butt over here. You're not going to believe this."

She cracked a smile, her eyes flitting from box to box. _After I sent that Plasma freak running with her tail between her legs, today's really been shaping up. This is great! All of this food is stuff that won't expire for a long time… it's like someone purposely left it here with the intent of storing it. There's enough to last us months._ In her excitement, Aurelia had nearly forgotten about their plan to leave the forest. _Hell, we might just need to reconsider our strategy. If we find my bag, I'm sure I'll be able to fend off any trespassers._

The hybrid entered the room and grabbed a small bag of pretzels from a box. "Hey, I'd feel much more comfortable if you ate these instead. It's not very polite to eat people, y'know." She carelessly tossed the object at the Ditto's feet, which looked down at it in confusion. _This could be a problem… if we're going to stay here, we'll need to keep this guy fed, or else he'll go into his "devour anything that moves" mode. By the looks of it, he has a pretty big appetite. He'll deplete our storage in no time… Of course, we'll always be able to rely on Colby to get us more food, but we shouldn't have to feed this thing in the first place. It's such a waste… how can we make him go away?_

The transformed Ditto lowered itself onto its knees and started to prod at the bag. It crushed and mashed the snacks inside with zeal, as if it was entertained by the crunching noises they made.

"Dude, don't do that. We kind of really need this food," Aurelia scorned as she swiftly swiped the bag from the Pokémon.

The purple insect lifted its head and set its fiery gaze on the hybrid. Still focusing on her, it shifted its body and pointed its cannon at the door. It growled quietly as beads of light gathered in the barrel and formed into a massive sphere. Producing a noise that sounded like nails on a chalkboard, the Ditto angrily fired the projectile and sent the door flying off its hinges. The heavy metal board crashed into the other end of the hall, creating a series of cracks in the wall.

Incredulously staring at the damage it had caused, Aurelia unquestioningly placed the bag of smashed pretzels back in front of the Ditto. The purple creature squealed joyfully and flipped the object into the air. _Yeah, we definitely can't keep this guy. I have to admit that the thing he did with his cannon was pretty impressive… I wonder if Destiny knows she can do that._

The other hybrid skittishly rushed into the room, still shaken from seeing the half-eaten Suicune. "What was that explosion?" Destiny cried, paying no attention to the boxes of food.

"Oh, nothing. Stalker Ditto was just having a little temper tantrum." Aurelia spoke in a nonchalant tone, despite her growing concern. "Anyway, did you hear what I said a few minutes ago? Check out what I found."

Destiny gasped when she took notice of the food. "Oh, g-gosh," she stammered. The girl instantly began to laugh. "This is amazing! But what is it doing here?"

Aurelia shrugged. "Beats me. I guess whoever turned us into hybrids didn't want to starve us." She pulled a crate of canned pasta off of one of the shelves and dropped it on the ground. "Shall we eat?"

"Shouldn't we go find Colby?" Destiny suggested.

The Arceus hybrid picked up a can of spaghetti and peeled back the tab. "Eh, we'll get him later. He probably ate before he went out, so he can wait." Once she had removed the lid, Aurelia held the can to her lips and let the soft pasta slide down her throat. The sauce was cold and sickeningly sweet, but she didn't care. It was great to finally have something in her stomach.

"I guess I can't argue with that," Destiny snickered, reaching for a can of her own.

Once Aurelia had drained the can, she set it on the floor and grabbed another one. She continued to gorge herself until she couldn't eat another bite. When she was finished, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and leaned against the wall in satisfaction.

"Man, am I stuffed!" Destiny announced, patting her full belly. "Where's Colby? He's gotta be done searching by now."

"C'mon, we all know he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. He probably got lost or something," Aurelia mumbled.

"Let's go look for him. I bet he'll be happy to know he won't have to buy us food for a long time," Destiny instructed as she slowly rose to her feet.

Aurelia gave the Ditto, which was playfully batting at an empty can, a cold look. _Unless we can figure out a way to get rid of him, that time might not be as long as we'd like. I suppose I could cram him into a Poké Ball and never let him see the light of day again. Well, if we find my bag, that is. And if we don't for whatever reason, Colby could catch it instead._ The hybrid didn't completely understand how Poké Balls worked, but she understood that Pokémon were kept alive as long as they were inside of them. She theorized that they went into hibernation, or entered a state of suspended animation.

The girls headed past Aurelia's wing and down the main hall, and the Ditto made sure to follow them. The purple creature was struggling to grip its beloved bag of pretzels between its two claws, so it momentarily dropped it and shifted into something with a functioning pair of hands—a Darkrai.

"Great, now I feel even more comfortable with you behind me," Aurelia chided, watching as the creature picked up the object again. It growled quietly as it pulled on the sides of the package, causing the bag to split open. Much to the Ditto's disappointment, the pretzel crumbs and grains of salt spilled onto the floor. It moodily tossed the empty bag aside, upset that it had destroyed its plaything.

_That thing is pretty darn amazing, I have to say. He can freely morph into any Legendary Pokémon he wants, and also the critter Destiny was. If I was still a trainer, he'd make an unstoppable addition to my team._ She sighed, glumly remembering how close she had been to becoming a Champion of the Unova region. _I'd still like to know how he does it. Him being able to turn into Legendary Pokémon sort of makes sense, but what about the bug? Besides, I thought Ditto needed to have whatever they wanted to turn into right in front of them if they wanted to transform. This guy is like a living Pokédex. _

"Colby? Are you there?" Destiny shouted when they reached the wing Colby had been assigned.

The hall remained silent.

"You better not be hiding from us. It isn't funny. Get out here, kid." Aurelia's tone was much more unfriendly than the other hybrid's. _This is a little weird. It isn't like him to act like this. He came rushing back to stand up for us against an enemy much stronger than him, and now he's playing a dumb game of hide and seek? I don't get it._

There was still no response.

Destiny turned to Aurelia. "Why isn't he saying anything?"

The Arceus hybrid rolled her eyes. "How am I supposed to know? Maybe he got tired of searching and fell asleep somewhere." Aurelia marched up to a door and yelled, "You in there?" She opened it, only to find that the room was empty. _Well, this is lovely. I was hoping that the only searching we'd have to do here would be for my bag._

She stepped over to another door, and was instantly struck by a sour, vaguely metallic odor. "What in the world? That almost smells like…" Her eyes widening, she instantly flung open the door. Aurelia began to curse violently as soon as she saw what was inside.

Taking up most of the room was the skeleton of a Lugia. Strips of mangled flesh clung to its bloodstained bones, and a bed of exposed but otherwise unharmed innards had begun to slide from its abdomen. Strangely, the organs were far too small to belong to a creature of its size. Sheets of skin, tattered bits of flesh, and what might have been large shreds of red fabric rested at the sides of its burst chest, and a flap of skin covered in what appeared to be shaggy golden hair hung from the back of its skull. Its esophagus had been messily ripped in half. For some reason, the bones that made up its tail were almost perfectly white. Judging by the condition of the body, it couldn't have possibly been dead for long.

"Arceus," Destiny panted, beginning to look ill. "Great Arceus!" She took a few staggering steps down the hall, and Aurelia quickly turned away as she vomited a pool of partially digested pasta. The girl returned and collapsed onto her knees a few steps away from the doorway. Utterly horrified and revolted, she buried her face in her arms and started to shriek and cry.

"Damn it," Aurelia snarled, her eyes glued to the disfigured corpse. _The Suicune was one thing, but this is absolutely disgusting. This doesn't even make any sense. We've seen how that Ditto kills, and it looks nothing like this. What kind of Pokémon would flay its prey, slice the throat in half, eat every speck of meat off the tail, and leave the guts intact? And what is that thing on the back of its head?_ She finally looked at the Ditto, which looked just as shocked as she did. "You little son of a bitch, what did you do to it?"

The shadowy creature waved its arms frantically, distress flashing in its icy blue eye.

Aurelia suddenly noticed something draped over the Lugia's nearly skeletal wing, and her heart began to pound as she squinted to get a better look. There was a thick strap slung over its shoulder, which connected to a large, maroon bag. She could also faintly see a sandy tan shape beneath the torso. "Oh, dear Arceus," she quietly spat as she was hit with a realization. "I don't know how this is possible, but that thing wasn't a hybrid. That thing was Colby."

"W-what are you saying?" Destiny whimpered in terror. Aurelia was surprised she could hear her over her screams. "Colby isn't a hybrid!"

"Yeah, that's what doesn't make any sense. But, see for yourself. Look at the bag. Look at the hair. If you look close enough, you can even see his Sandile. That's why he wouldn't answer. He's dead, damn it. That little idiot is dead." Aurelia didn't have a clue as to why a Lugia's skeleton had taken the place of the boy's bones. Had Colby been a hybrid all along? If that was true, then how did he die? Now that she had observed the corpse more closely, it seemed as if the Lugia skeleton had actually ripped through his body. _It's like he was supposed to turn into a Pokémon, but only his bones changed. I just don't get it._

"No," she choked in denial, refusing to lift her head, "that's impossible. There's no way that's Colby. He isn't dead. He can't be!"

"Just accept it," Aurelia growled, feeling an abrupt surge of fury. "People die every day; it's an unavoidable part of life. Some people have died for crazier, even more perplexing reasons than this. Denying it won't bring Colby back to life."

"No!" the other hybrid screeched. "He was so young! He had his whole life ahead of him! He can't be dead!"

"Are you really that stupid? Do you seriously think fate spares people just because they haven't lived full lives? Ha, if only the world worked that way! My brother… if he were alive, he'd be Colby's age. He passed when he was six years old. I didn't see you crying when I told you he was dead. You're only upset that Colby's gone because he was going to bring us food and stuff. You're selfish."

"You're calling me selfish?" Destiny wailed. "That's funny, because you're the most insensitive, arrogant bitch I've ever met! You don't care about anyone else's problems; you only want people to feel bad for you! You clearly don't care that Colby is dead, if what you're saying is even true, and you try to tell me I'm selfish because I'm emotional! You disgusting—"

"You don't know what I've been through!" Aurelia roared fiercely. "I envy you. I envy you, and your perfect little life, and your perfect little family. You have no idea how lucky you are. You know, I heard what you said before Lynn attacked. You told me to "get over it". Why don't you take your own advice? Fate's giving you a taste of what I've had to experience. Crappy things happen, and people die. Get used to it. You know what? We might've been able to prevent this if you hadn't been so stubborn. Maybe Colby did this to himself; this is the building where we woke up, after all, so Arceus knows what kind of things he could've found here. He might've gotten a hold of some of the formula, and maybe he had some kind of freaky allergic reaction, or he used the wrong amount. If we had kept together, like I suggested, we could've stopped him. But, no—you have to oppose everything I say. This is your fault."

Destiny tore at her hair, sobbing and sniffling. She turned her back to Aurelia, signifying that she wasn't going to respond. "I can't take this," the hybrid whispered chokingly. Reiterating the words, she leaned forward and repeatedly bashed her head against the ground.

"Oh, please," Aurelia scoffed, scowling. "You seriously need to grow up." It was almost painful to watch the pathetic hybrid break down. Shaking her head, she left the room and stalked into the main hall, eager to get away from the stench that emanated from the far wing. _Maybe it was wrong of me to fight with her. With Colby gone, we only have each other now. Creating drama will only make things harder for both of us,_ she mused. _Heck, what am I saying? She had it coming. We'll work this out later, hopefully._

Her thoughts scrambled, the Arceus hybrid anxiously paced back and forth down the hall. _I should get some sleep. Maybe I'll wake up, and it'll turn out this was all just a dream._ She paused to look for the Ditto, but to her surprise, it was nowhere to be found. _What if the thing that happened to Colby wasn't some kind of freak accident or bad reaction? What if the formula is normally faulty? What if that happens to me?_ She shuddered at the idea of her skin stretching and breaking as her skeleton shifted into that of her Pokémon form. _Knowing how much fate likes me, I'm sure that's the case. It'll be the grand finale—the perfect way for me and my stupid life to go down in flames._ Clenching her teeth, the Arceus hybrid rolled up her sleeves. _Well, come on. There's no need to wait. I'm ready, fate. Give me everything you've got._


	30. Ambivalence

Dragon woke to see Archeops standing on his chest, the plastic bag that had once been filled with Babiri Berries dangling from its jaws. "What do you think you're doing with that?" he moaned drowsily. "Aww, don't tell me you ate the rest of the berries. Those were supposed to be for special occasions, Archeops."

The First Bird Pokémon playfully cocked its head to the side, the plastic bag rustling in its mouth. "Come on, now. Give that to me." Dragon reached for the bag, only for Archeops to take off in a flurry of feathers. It floated above its trainer teasingly, its head swaying back and forth. "We don't have time for this. We can't leave Lord N waiting."

Archeops sulkily dropped its gaze to the ground, the plastic bag slowly drifting towards the floor. It flapped over to the bed post and began to preen its feathers as Dragon got dressed. When the black-haired grunt was finished, he stepped over to his Pokémon and ran his fingers through its silky plumage. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, boy. We just really need to get going. This is super important. You understand, don't you?" He spoke in a gentle tone as he petted it softly.

Dragon laughed as Archeops closed its eyes and made a quiet purring noise. "That's what I thought." He patted its head. "Are you ready to leave? You've got a bit more flying to do, but it won't be nearly as much as yesterday. We need to go to Icirrus City, which is only a few towns away."

Archeops bobbed its head eagerly, as if it recognized just how important its trainer's assignment was to him. Dragon had always admired his Pokémon's unyielding loyalty. It always readily complied with what he said, never protesting or turning away from his commands. Archeops was a very special pal to the grunt—a little brother of sorts who happened to be covered in feathers. He felt like it truly understood him, unlike most people he encountered on his journeys. It never judged him, or called him a hypocrite, or made fun of his self-appointed name. Dragon's yearning for a companion like that was subconsciously part of what had compelled him to join Team Plasma.

Quiet and aloof, Dragon never had a lot of friends when he was little. Most of his interactions with other children comprised of him defending himself against their jeering teases, which usually only ended in more embarrassment for him. No matter how hard he tried, there seemed to be no way for Dragon to appear daunting and tough. When he spoke in a harsh tone, his words sounded unconvincing and forced, and he immediately felt guilty about his insolence. His compassionate, softhearted disposition was firmly woven into his nature, and it bled through any disguise he attempted to hide behind. Blind to his inabilities, Dragon vowed to prove his bullies wrong by doing something big—big enough to change the world.

When the boy heard whispers about an organization that sought to bring revolution to the Unova region, he opted to join at once. He readily adopted some of Team Plasma's beliefs even though he was generally unacquainted with its morals and values. Dragon had no prior experience with Pokémon—since he had never been exposed to the profound bonds between humans and Pokémon, he thought them to be largely trivial. Archeops, who was said to have been confiscated from an abusive trainer unable to tolerate its Defeatist ability, was given to Dragon upon his induction into the organization. It was his responsibility to take the badly shaken First Bird Pokémon under his wing and nurse it back to health so it could work alongside him to enforce Team Plasma's ideals. Finally making use of his mildness, Dragon easily made friends with his new Pokémon. They accepted each other's flaws and built up their relationship until they became inseparable. Ironically, the grunt's allegiance to the organization taught him the opposite of the views he was supposed to advocate—sometimes Pokémon and humans truly could work as equals, sharing mutual bonds of love and respect.

Fate had somehow swung in his favor, letting him securely grasp his dream of becoming someone great. The king of Team Plasma himself had requested that he retrieve the relic needed to carry out his goals, which meant that he would be partly responsible for the change that was to sweep the Unova region. It would give his name meaning—he would be remembered as the one who located the remains of the heavenly dragon Reshiram. He would be a hero, or at least that was what N wanted him to believe. Now that he understood the true ties between humans and Pokémon, and now that he had been shown the secrets behind N's purported regime, he realized that what he'd be doing would only spell out disaster for the Unova region.

When Dragon had gone off to search for the wayward Genesect, Ghetsis appeared before him on the back of his Hydreigon. The official audaciously revealed that he was the true head of Team Plasma and that the work the organization was participating in behind the scenes contradicted the ethics it supposedly stood for. N was merely a puppet whose purpose was to win favor from the masses. Even though the boy king was ambitious and had a good head on his shoulders, it was very likely that Ghetsis and his followers would intercept his plans. Dragon didn't want to think about the danger that could arise if an artifact containing a godly being fell into the wrong hands.

Despite this, the grunt couldn't resist sympathizing with N—perhaps because he reminded him of himself. Although he was somewhat awkward and eccentric, the king was a well-intentioned and resolute individual who appeared to be pure of heart. Dragon wanted to be able to stand up for him, proving his loyalty and showing that not everyone in Team Plasma had turned on him. Since N had presented Dragon with the opportunity to fulfill his dream, the grunt also wanted to repay the favor as a display of his gratitude.

Dragon scowled as he ambled out of his dorm room, Archeops gliding along behind him. He couldn't make sense of his thoughts; they all pushed in opposite directions, creating anarchy within the confines of his brain. He had spent a good portion of the night mulling over what was on his mind, but he still faced wearisome uncertainty. Gloomily looking over his shoulder, Dragon uttered, "I wish you knew how to talk, buddy. I could really use a second opinion." The winged creature trilled contemplatively in response.

_It makes me wonder what it's like to be a hybrid… to exist on the boundary between humans and Pokémon… to live in two separate worlds. _Dragon cringed when he thought about the fifty-something teenagers who had been unwillingly turned into monsters and were being hunted down for no fault of their own. He was relieved to at least know that Ben, the hybrid he had been responsible for catching, was being given a second chance. As much as he thought it was strange that N had suddenly changed his mind about using genetically modified organisms, he admired his perseverance and ability to craft a plan that would save Ben from the expense of death all the while benefitting his project. _If only the same could be done about every hybrid. But I'm not sure if that would be possible… Ghetsis is a terrible person, but he did have a point. Most hybrids just shouldn't exist in this world; Ben is a special case._ Chances were that Team Plasma had quickly picked up on the location of the hybrids and had already begun to ruthlessly massacre them.

Even with the knowledge of what was really going on in Team Plasma, Dragon couldn't think of why someone would use such abhorrent means to exact revenge on the organization. It didn't add up. Considering that Ghetsis and his comrades were in on the creation of Genesect, it made no sense why the so-called traitor would produce genetically modified organisms of his own to oppose them. Could it be possible that he wanted to fight them for another reason? Like Dragon had originally believed, maybe he simply disliked the idea of Pokémon liberation. The grunt knew he shouldn't jump to conclusions—just because Ghetsis told him the truth about Team Plasma didn't mean everyone was aware of it.

_No matter what his reasons were, what he did is wrong. None of the hybrids deserve this. Each and every one of them had a dream, and they'll never have the chance to fulfill it. Me, on the other hand… I'm lucky enough to have the ability to live my life the way I want, and I shouldn't let that go to waste. I need to do this, for the hybrids. It's all I can do. Maybe… if the Great Dragon has the power to create new worlds, then maybe it would also have the power to help the hybrids. If Lord N can follow through with his plan without Ghetsis interfering, then perhaps what I'm doing is good. But humans and Pokémon… how will they be able to exist in complete separation? _

Dragon would have never expected that Team Plasma would do something so radical to ensure Pokémon liberation. He thought it was merely a group of activists—when he first joined the organization, its sole focus was to launch campaigns and publicity stunts in hopes of bringing Pokémon abuse and mistreatment to the public's attention. Very little was accomplished through these projects; few people agreed that the mishandling of Pokémon was a serious issue. Until he learned of N's plot, there seemed to be little hope for Team Plasma. Using a Legendary Pokémon to force the king's ideals upon the region would certainly be more dynamic that anything else the organization had attempted thus far, but Dragon felt there were some definite problems with that idea.

_In a way, it's just like what the scientist did to the hybrids. There are some people who deserve to be with their Pokémon, and they shouldn't be punished for what other people did wrong. If the world is split in two, some people's dreams will be crushed. I guess they should just learn to embrace the change. As vital as the bonds between humans and Pokémon are, no one will die if we are divided. We can adapt and continue to thrive without having Pokémon by our sides, and maybe it's true that Pokémon will be better off without us trainers. A revolution as extraordinary as this might actually do us good; we could all profit from starting anew._

Dragon slowed to a halt as he began to near the base's exit. Even though he had convinced himself that fetching the Light Stone was the right decision, the realization that he'd have to part ways with Archeops turned his heart to stone. The grunt knew from the start that he'd have to say goodbye one day, but it had always felt a million miles away. If his leader succeeded in reviving the Great Dragon, he too would immediately be forced to give up his Pokémon. _I need to learn to embrace the change, _he echoed solemnly. _It's often necessary to make sacrifices for the greater good. Lord N has already shown that he accepts that; as much as he dislikes the idea of using altered organisms, he knew that working with Ben was the best choice. I've got to strive to be like that._

Unaware of its trainer's troubled musings, Archeops gave him a light nudge. Dragon spun around, smiling faintly. "This is going to be our final adventure, buddy," he told his Pokémon calmly. Archeops feebly tilted its head, and for the first time ever it seemed as if it didn't understand its trainer's words. Hiding his hurt behind his forced expression, Dragon whispered, "I'm sorry if this is sudden, Archeops, but it's something that needs to be done. When Lord N resurrects the Great Dragon, you'll be free. You won't ever have to listen to me or go into your Poké Ball again; you'll own the skies and be able to do whatever you like. Maybe you'll even find a nice lady Archeops. Isn't that what you want?"

The First Bird Pokémon gave Dragon a vacant stare, sinking to the floor as it flapped its wings listlessly. _Archeops probably doesn't remember what it's like to not have a trainer. He'll be happy without me. I'm sure of it,_ Dragon unpersuasively reassured himself. "Please don't drag your feet. This is the last time we'll be together, so we've got to make the best of it. Come on, let's head out." Groaning pitifully, Archeops ascended and followed the grunt out of the building. "That's the spirit," Dragon praised, reaching to pet his feathered friend. _I truly hope I made the right decision._

**[Author's note: **_**If you didn't already know, I've started a collection of one-shots that will tell the stories of certain characters and events that aren't significant to the plot of**_** Plasma's Folly. **_**Although they are not important to the storyline in any way, they do supply some background information.**__**The first one focuses on Brian, Colby's brother.**_**]**


	31. Night Terror

**[Author's note: **_**Sorry for the long wait! I was going through some stuff in real life, but I'm pretty sure I'll be able to return to my regular updates soon. Now, this chapter is a bit rushed, which is because I was trying a bit too hard to have it done before Christmas was over (I still didn't manage to meet my deadline... I was off by ten minutes). I also ended up changing a few semi-important things in chapter twenty-five and twenty-six, so you might want to look over them. Anyway, happy holidays, everyone!**_**]**

The syringe rested in Colby's open palms. He gently moved his arms skyward, regarding the object as if he had uncovered a sacred artifact. There was a glint of astonishment in his big, honey brown eyes. Caught up in his sheer fascination, he struggled for breath.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Aurelia's harsh tone rose above the young trainer's wonder. "Have you lost your mind? Do you have any idea what you're about to do to yourself?"

Fear veiling his expression, Colby slowly faced the girl. He wrapped his fingers around the vial protectively, afraid that Aurelia would snatch it from him.

"Look into my eyes, you idiot." She arched her back, threateningly fixing her intense stare on the boy. "You think being a hybrid would be cool, don't you? Does it look like I enjoy being a hybrid? What's so wonderful about going through the agony of having your bones bend and your flesh twist? What's so amazing about becoming a dangerous monster that's incapable of talking and doing simple tasks? What's so great about living with the constant misery of not being able to return to society? Being a hybrid isn't a blessing—it's a living hell. Why is this so hard for you to understand?"

Colby's knees wobbled as he timidly backed away from the infuriated hybrid. The syringe slipped from his grasp and shattered instantly when it hit the tiled floor. Startled, the boy watched as the oily formula seeped between the cracks.

"Good riddance," Aurelia spat, turning to Destiny. "See? What did I tell you? We can't trust this kid. Can you imagine what would've happened if he was alone?"

Destiny smiled meekly. "Yeah, that was a close one." The other hybrid's words had a dampening effect on her thoughts. Stinging memories pulsed through her mind, and Destiny dug her nails into her head in a vain attempt to drive them away. Blackness abruptly overtook her vision, and she gagged as the stench of blood filled her nostrils. A blurry white shape emerged from the darkness and gradually molded itself into the bloody skull of a Lugia. Its jaw was unhinged, as if it had been caught in the middle of a scream, and its little tongue was visible in the back of its mouth. Mangled flesh sagged from its face; red droplets trickled from its ruptured throat. Soulless eyes peered out from deep sockets.

Springing awake, Destiny flew to her knees. She frantically sent panicked glances around the hall, gawkily taking in her surroundings. The hall's bare walls stood around her, locking her in a dungeon of nightmares; a horrible mingle of odors wafted through the air. Crestfallen, she let out a dejected sigh when she realized she had been dreaming. When did she even fall asleep? Everything was a blur—the world had become foggy and surreal, and it seemed like time had slowed. After discovering that Colby was dead, nothing felt real—it was like a fragment of reality had slipped away.

As much as she wanted to fight off Aurelia's theory, Destiny knew the Arceus hybrid had spoken the inescapable truth. Nothing else could explain the young trainer's disappearance, or how the corpse possessed several of Colby's features. Destiny just couldn't accept that he was gone; that his bright and hopeful future had been shattered in such an atrocious manner. Even more, it was impossible to accept that she had been responsible for his death.

Destiny could hear her chiding words echo in her head: _So you think fictional movies are a reliable source of survival tips?_ It seemed like a harmless statement at the time—in fact, Destiny didn't even expect the headstrong Aurelia to act upon it. These words had melded themselves into a dagger; a dagger that cut Colby away from her; a dagger that stabbed Colby in the heart and sliced his body into tiny pieces.

Letting out muffled sobs, the hybrid set her back against the wall and closed her eyes. She was helpless—suffocating beneath the burdens of guilt and regret. It would be so easy to give up and be crushed beneath them, but something in her wouldn't let that happen. It was as if her fear had materialized into a mesh canopy over her head—the only thing keeping her from letting go.

A chill enveloped Destiny, and she let out a shaky breath as she hugged her arms around herself. She was startled to find that her breath had taken on a milky green hue. The hybrid watched in disbelief as the colored air swirled and expanded, molding itself into the figure of a boy. Like a Ditto, his form was fluid and indistinct; he would fade in and out, and his shape briefly flickered into that of a sea beast every few seconds. Nonetheless, it was impossible not to recognize his smiling visage. "C-Colby!" Destiny let out a choking squeal. "A ghost? You're a ghost?"

The specter retained his gleeful expression. "_I am_." His voice had a certain quality to it that hadn't been present when he was alive. He sounded disturbingly sure of himself; frighteningly confident and collected.

Destiny could feel warm tears sliding down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry," she whispered weakly, "so, so sorry." The sight of the apparition overwhelmed her senses—she had forgotten how ghosts and spirits weren't supposed to be real.

Colby shrugged. "_It is a little too late for that, I'm afraid._" An unnatural grin crawled up the sides of his face as he extended his arm towards Destiny.

"What do you mean?" Destiny wailed in horror, instinctively trying to back away. "What are you doing?"

The phantom pressed his hand, which was surprisingly solid, against her chest. "_You put me through hell. I can't leave you unpunished_."

"No!" the girl cried as an icy sensation gripped her body. "I said I was sorry! Colby, please! Please forgive me!" She could feel things shifting inside of her, and suddenly became aware of how she could no longer move. Destiny tried to keep screaming for mercy, but was met with silence.

Colby wordlessly floated backwards with an unsettling look of satisfaction on his face, growing fainter until he dissolved into a fine mist. He had acted so strange: did Destiny twist the sweet little trainer into a demon? The girl glumly realized that she deserved what Colby was sending her way. Visions of her body being destroyed like Colby's were already flashing before her eyes.

Spasms lurched through her, just as they had when she morphed into the bipedal insect. Her bones snapped and broke, carrying her into a world of pain. Her features bulged and contracted, lengthened and shortened. Something was pushing at her skin—a monster striving to break free. Her torso rose and grew and swelled and convulsed as it struggled, until it finally exploded into a crimson shower.

Destiny jolted awake again. _Another dream? Why… how is this happening?_ Terror buzzing in her mind, she immediately examined her chest. The hybrid's heart skipped a beat when she saw that her body had been covered in metallic purple armor. _No… dear Arceus… please, no!_ She stood up unsteadily, letting a miserable noise escape: "_Wrrrooogh_!"

She forced herself to calm down for a moment. _Wait a second. The last two times something bad happened, it turned out they were just dreams. Maybe this isn't real. I'll just wait it out and see if I'm dreaming._ The hybrid took restless strides back and forth, nearly tripping on several occasions.

Destiny's patience quickly began to wear thin. She dropped to her knees, her back aching from the weight of the cannon. _Something doesn't seem right this time._ Dread welled up in the back of her throat. The insect despondently flattened herself against the ground, shielding her unblinking red eyes with her arms.

She raised her head when something brushed over her back. _Here we go again,_ she thought, bracing herself. _I guess this is it._ Destiny swung her head from side to side as she tried to get a glimpse of whatever had touched her, but her inability to move her eyes left her blind in several areas. She finally focused on a shadowy shape, which she quickly identified as the Darkrai the Ditto had changed into. It was staring at her in shock, and seemed almost perplexed by her appearance.

Destiny was hit with sudden understanding. _That explains everything_! Darkrai, a nefarious being from Sinnoh mythology, was known to induce horrible nightmares and hallucinations upon those who came near to it. _I'm trapped in a cycle of night terrors. I've got to get that Ditto to turn back to normal if I want to be free._ She still didn't like the idea of approaching the volatile Transform Pokémon, but her desperation drove her forward.

An idea popped into Destiny's brain. _What if all of this is a nightmare? What if Colby never died?_ Nervous excitement rocketed through her heart. _Or, what if I never met Aurelia, and never turned into that monster? I doubt it, but it's still possible, isn't it?_ Feeling motivated, she sat up and looked the Darkrai in the eye. "_Wrrruurrgh aaagghh!_" the insect begged, trying her hardest to sound out her words. _Turn back!_

The transformed Ditto questioningly approached Destiny, mesmerized. The hybrid screeched in frustration. _Gah, no! Why can't you understand me? I hate this. Why can't I talk like Aurelia does? It's not fair!_ Anger boiled inside of her, flowing through her veins like magma. _I'm done with this. I just want this to be over with!_ Her arm flew forward, striking the Darkrai's side like a bullet. It was satisfying—the same kind of satisfaction she experienced when she was trying to scare Aurelia.

The Darkrai growled in surprise, but didn't retaliate. It gazed at her somberly, quivering with a growing sense of mistrust. Destiny made a shrieking noise and jabbed at the black creature with her claws again. _If you're not going to listen to me, I'll use force. I'm not afraid to fight._ As much as she didn't want to admit it, she felt safe beneath the insect's sturdy exoskeleton. Transforming into the Pokémon not only changed the way she looked, but it also allowed her to change who she was. As this creature, she could do things she would've never dreamed of doing as a human.

The Darkrai floated backwards, balling its hands into fists. It was evident that it was beginning to lose its temper. Snarling, it shrank into its original gelatinous form.

_Yes_! Destiny chimed mentally. _Does this mean I'm free_? She glanced around warily. Her surroundings were exactly the same, and she was still in the body of the purple insect. The girl was struck by a surge of disappointment. _At least I won't get any more nightmares._ She sank onto the ground, bittersweet thoughts swimming through her brain.

Once it was back in its normal shape, Destiny had turned her attention away from the Ditto. The Transform Pokémon was livid—it felt hurt, as if it had been betrayed. Enraged, it stretched and shifted into a quadruped animal with shaggy brown fur and a billowing white protrusion sprouting from its back. The Entei roared with a voice as powerful as a volcanic eruption before exhaling a plume of fire towards the metal insect.

Destiny screamed as the flames licked her back. Burning, stinging pain wracked her body; it felt like her exoskeleton was melting into her flesh. She collapsed onto her face, a seemingly endless stream of fire blanketing her figure. _Mercy_! Destiny wailed in her head, her voice giving out. There was no way this could be a dream—the Darkrai had been dealt with. This was real pain; real fire ravaging her body, real smoke filling her lungs.

She held on for as long as she could, until darkness finally swept over her consciousness.


	32. Gluttony

There was something distinctly different between the last time Ben had transformed and now. For one, the hybrid had never experienced excruciating pain in his gut before—only a churning, tugging sensation, like someone was gently kneading it. This time, he felt as if something were clawing at his innards, kicking and scrambling like a wild animal in a tiny cage. He treaded backwards, forcing himself onto his back before the paralysis set in.

The pain sharpened. Ben could feel his stomach squeezing and tightening, and he realized at once what was happening to him. _D… damn it._ It suddenly became clear to him why Kelvin had warned him not to overeat. While he did in fact have a greater stomach capacity as a Zekrom, he remembered too late that his human body wouldn't retain his Pokémon form's large belly. _Since all the food I ate isn't part of me, it isn't going to be affected by the change. This… won't end well._ He had eaten enough to satiate his Zekrom shape's huge appetite—an amount no human stomach should've been capable of holding.

Numb to the transformation of the rest of his body, Ben silently screamed as his belly continued to agonizingly contract around its contents. He felt a wave of nausea between intervals of fierce pain; his body knew it couldn't handle the mass of food he had stuffed himself with, and it wanted to expel the contents as quickly as possible. The hybrid instinctively wheezed and coughed despite his frozen state, but nothing came out. _N-no… this isn't happening,_ Ben cried in his mind, tears welling in the corners of his eyes as he continued to let out choking gasps. _Why didn't I see this coming? Why did I have to be such a smartass? There's no way I'm going to survive this! I can't take this… my stomach is going to split open!_

The food he had devoured was pushing against the walls of his stomach; he could feel the leathery rinds of oranges he had swallowed whole, and the thick crusts of sandwiches he had forced down his throat. They dug into the lining, gradually drawing it apart as it struggled to shrink. The hybrid started to feel as if his stomach was breaking, the fleshy tissue stretching and tearing apart like pieces of cloth. Right when Ben was sure it would burst, the feeling abruptly came to a halt. The contents of his belly shifted, no longer under pressure and constrained. He could feel the battered organ expanding like a latex balloon as the food repositioned itself.

Ben experimentally tried to lift his head off of the floor, figuring that his transformation had ended. Tears trickled down his face as he gradually raised it, the sensation of an intense cramp still fiercely throbbing within him. He howled in horror when he caught sight of his distended abdomen, letting his head crash to the ground.

"You should've listened to me," Kelvin sighed, shaking his head as he walked closer to the agonized boy. "Believe it or not, I actually know what I'm talking about. I was the one who cursed you with the ability to turn into that monster, after all." The scientist winced as he studied the bulge that had formed under Ben's black sweatshirt. "I can't imagine that's very comfortable."

"Yeah, you think?" Ben snapped, furiously attempting to sit up. "Why didn't you tell me this would happen? How in the world was I supposed to know what you meant when you told me not to overeat?"

Kelvin shrugged. "I thought you would know better. Don't forget that I did warn you. I think you've learned your lesson about being ignorant in the face of someone clearly much more intelligent than you. Though, I suppose it goes to show just how dangerous poor communication can be. Now, you better stay still. Moving around will put stress on your body, which could cause your stomach to rupture."

_He's right. No one is to blame for this but me, but why should I let him know that? He's done enough to torment me. _Ben relaxed his muscles, trying to ignore the stinging pain that persisted in his stomach. "Dude, I could've died. Hell, maybe it just hasn't killed me yet. It wouldn't be much of a lesson if I didn't live through it, hmm?" He groaned miserably. "You know, I'm pretty sure it already burst. What difference is it gonna make?"

"I doubt you'd be talking to me so casually if it had ruptured. You probably just irritated the lining of your stomach," Kelvin chided, sitting down in the chair. "I understand that it's painful, but it shouldn't be fatal. My best advice is to rest and pray you have a fast metabolism."

"Easier said than done," Ben murmured seconds before he felt ill again. He rolled onto his side, heaving and retching unsuccessfully. It was as if the food he had eaten was firmly lodged in his stomach, or it couldn't fit back through his esophagus. The hybrid began to feel something unpleasantly warm rising in the back of his throat, and he coughed as he attempted to eject it from his body. A sour taste entered Ben's mouth as a syrupy fluid gushed from his throat. Gagging, he extended his tongue and let the liquid pour from the corner of his mouth. The blood oozed into the dirt floor, staining the ground dark red. _I'm going to die,_ he decided in horror, shock overcoming his trembling body. His wide, dark brown eyes vacantly stared towards the legs of Kelvin's chair as he whimpered softly.

_I want my mom and dad. They'd be able to help me. They always know what to do._ The pleading words circulated through Ben's mind like a mantra. He had always been very close to his parents. As he had decided not to start his Pokémon journey when he turned ten, he had never been away from them for long—and consequently, he never realized just how important they were to him. It had become ingrained in his mind that they would always be there for him, willing to offer him help and support with whatever troubles crossed his path. Ben never fathomed what his life would be like without him, because up until now he had no reason to. He had grown so used to having them by his side that he felt lost without them.

The older man tilted his head back, forlornly gazing up at the dungeon's stone ceiling. Uneasily gripping the chair's wooden armrests, he whispered, "Perhaps this is Arceus's will. Arceus doesn't want to watch an innocent child like you suffer. I am the only one who deserves to be punished, for I have committed crimes against humanity."

Ben curled his lips back in a snarl, which wasn't nearly as intimidating now that he had reverted to his human shape. "Don't you dare bring religion into this. Arceus is dead. It has no involvement in fate or destiny or any of that bull. Quit trying to shove the blame into someone else's hands. You did this to me." His faltering speech was abruptly interrupted by a violent coughing fit. Wiping a smear of blood from his face, he wheezed, "You just said I wasn't going to die, but now you're giving me the opposite message. What's the deal?"

At this point, Ben knew his death was inescapable, and frankly, it didn't surprise him. He had already accepted the idea that he wouldn't live much longer when Ghetsis told him he was going to be killed. His initial shock still endured in the back of his mind, but it was buried beneath a series of disconcerting questions. He wondered what it was like to die, and if there was an afterlife, and what would happen if he somehow managed to survive. The questions charged through Ben's head like a herd of stampeding Bouffalant, and he couldn't get himself to relax and think through them rationally. The distressed hybrid's worrisome thoughts did nothing to distract him from the unbearable pain in his abdomen, and he was sure he wouldn't be able to handle it much longer.

"I just don't know anymore," Kelvin murmured, clutching his forehead. "Arceus detests those arrogant enough to claim the title of god for themselves, and I've done just that. By creating these abominable hybrids, I've meddled with its divine work. The things I've done are atrocious, and I deserve to face Giratina's wrath in Hell for all eternity for my sins."

"Now, let's put things into perspective," Ben groaned irately. "I'm on the floor, dying slowly because my stomach split open. And you? You're sitting in a chair, whining about how miserable you are and how you're such a horrible person. The only one suffering here is me, especially if you're gonna make me listen to any more of your nonsense. If what you're saying were true, you'd be in my shoes."

"There are some things worse than death. When you're dead, you're dead. There will be no more pain, no more suffering—only eternal bliss, unless you've wronged Arceus like I have. I'm being shown the extent of my inhumanness. An innocent child dying before my eyes because of what I did… it's a living nightmare. Words cannot begin to describe the pain I feel when I remember that there are so many others like you out there, all going through the same thing."

Ben scoffed, "Please. You could've easily prevented this from happening if you didn't try to "teach me a lesson". Honestly, I'd rather have to live through my nightmares than go through this. At least I'd be alive! No one truly knows what you can expect when you die, so why take any chances? Comforting yourself with a false sense of security is a stupid waste of time."

"For someone lying on his deathbed, you're awfully talkative," the scientist mused, moving his hand down to his chin. "Your lack of empathy makes you appear arrogant, and that is never a wise path to follow. They say a man's pride is his most dangerous vice; something I should've learned much sooner. If I hadn't been so overbearingly confident in my abilities, none of this would've happened. I'd be with my love, you'd be in school, and neither of our lives would be flipped upside-down. One thing always leads to another; the tiniest action could create a calamitous impact on the world around us. There is always some underlying reason behind each move we make and every word we speak. Nothing is truly spontaneous." Kelvin placed his hands in his lap. "Arceus works in mysterious ways sometimes, though I'm sure there is a reason behind each of its wills as well. You never did tell me what N wanted with you."

"And is there a reason I should?" the hybrid growled. He paused for a moment, fighting back another spell of nausea. "If it'll get you to shut up, then whatever, I'll talk. It's not important to me, anyway. N is going after Reshiram, and he thinks he'll be able to combine it and me with Kyurem to recreate the Great Dragon. It's a load of bull, if you ask me. You seem to know a lot about fusing people with Pokémon. You don't think that would work, do you?"

Kelvin's eyes lit up, as if he had been crossed by a fond memory. "Kyurem, you say? Growing up in Lacunosa Town, I've heard more than a few stories about that monster. I don't believe I've ever heard that one, though. How exactly does he plan on combining three separate organisms into one? That's inconceivable. I don't think that foolish boy knows the danger he's getting himself into. The formula I designed was created to insert specific genes into each and every one of a fully developed organism's cells; my knowledge pertains to something much different from what you described."

_When he's speaking sensibly, he's somewhat tolerable,_ Ben decided. He had never stopped to consider just how unrealistic the idea of fusing three different organisms together was. Since he knew practically nothing about the beast called Kyurem, he assumed N's theory was automatically correct and that this was something it was naturally capable of. The only thing he questioned was the idea of him fusing with it in place of the real Zekrom. As far as he knew, there was no solid proof that Kyurem could meld itself with other organisms, let alone that it was actually once part of the Great Dragon. "He claimed to have undergone extensive research on the subject," the hybrid reported. "So, to your knowledge, Kyurem has nothing to do with Reshiram and Zekrom, and it doesn't have the power to combine with other Pokémon?"

The red-haired man replied, "I haven't heard anything that points in that direction. Granted, Kyurem is a Legendary Pokémon, and what's more is that its violent reputation makes it excruciatingly difficult to study. We know only so much information about it. The Kyurem hybrid I created reflects my limited knowledge of the Pokémon; I know it is of the Ice and Dragon-types, and that is it. If N really did get an opportunity to research Kyurem, it's plausible that he may have discovered something new about it."

"That's certainly reassuring." Ben's concern was masked with a thick layer of sarcasm. _Hell, what does it matter? It's not like I'm going to make it through this. Maybe I really am better off dead. If N's plans are actually possible, I want no part in Team Plasma's nonsense. The things he wants to accomplish will end in disaster, and I don't want to be responsible for that. That dude's messing with some serious stuff. Arceus or no Arceus, he shouldn't have the right to change the world in such a drastic way._ Straining, hopeless frustration wracked the boy's brain. There was no third option: if he died, he'd be dead, and if he lived, he might be forced to watch the Unova region crumble around him as the result of his own doing.

_It was never set in stone that N's theory is true. Kelvin said that he couldn't disprove it, but he also said that it was highly illogical. The order of the Unova region could still be at stake; it would be selfish to keep myself alive if it meant everyone else would suffer. In the end, does my life even matter?_ _The world is comprised of billions of people, so what difference would it make if I stopped existing? We're like rocks sitting in a quarry: if you remove one, nothing will happen unless that particular stone happens to be at the bottom of the pile. Kelvin's girlfriend was one of those rocks serving as a foundation for the mound. When she was taken away, dozens of stones toppled onto the ground, and I was one of them. If my rock was stolen, the pile would remain unchanged because I've already been knocked out of it. Only a few people would be affected—if N was truly set on using me to attain his goal, he'd be crushed, and of course my mom and dad would be miserable as well. Things would be different at school, but I doubt anyone would miss me._ An impending feeling of despair rose in Ben's chest as he came to the conclusion that his life was worthless. Upset with himself, the hybrid's views were overcome by cynicism.

_Why should I care what happens to the Unova region? I know well enough that the place is crawling with bigoted morons and people who have far more power than they know what to do with. If I ruin the lives of genuinely good people as well, what does it matter? Why should I feel the need to defend them? I'll die someday no matter what, and when that happens I'll fade into nothingness and I'll have no recollection of what I did in this world. Guilt and grief, sorrow and sympathy—those are all human emotions, and they won't be there when I'm dead. I won't be able to experience, or even see the impact I left, and I won't be able to witness what will happen in the future. What is the purpose of life? To… exist? If that's the case, shouldn't I make the best of the time I have in this world?_

The boy released a ragged breath, attempting to clear his mind. _It's not like I have control of what happens to me. If this kills me, then that's that. I'm not dead yet, though. If I'm going to die, my body sure is taking its sweet time._ His stomach still ached horribly, but if anything it was losing its edge._ Maybe… just maybe I'll pull through._ Ben dug his fingers into the dirt and carefully pushed his upper body off of the ground, his usual smirk returning to his face. Glowering at Kelvin, the hybrid announced, "Tell Arceus it can kiss my ass. If my death is its will, it's gonna have to try harder than this."


	33. Reflections

The steadfast Gigalith held itself in an eager position, its crystalline eyes flicking back and forth between its trainer and the Gym Leader. It lifted one of its rocky feet from the ground in anticipation, edgily waiting to see what kind of Pokémon it would be up against.

Skyla withdrew a Poké Ball, beaming with confidence. "A Gigalith, eh? Sending out a Rock-type first isn't a bad idea. I'm not scared, though. I'll let Swanna demonstrate the versatility of Flying-type Pokémon!" A long-necked bird covered in white and pastel blue feathers sprang from the object, fanning its wings aggressively.

Aurelia scowled in frustration, burrowing her hands into her jacket pockets. _Swanna is half Water-type, isn't it? Great, I wasn't prepared for this._ She glanced at her Gigalith, who was beginning to grow tense. "Well, this should be fun," she muttered apathetically. "Try using Stealth Rock, Gigalith."

Before the monster had a chance to attack, Skyla ordered, "Swanna, use BubbleBeam!" Her Pokémon trumpeted noisily, its chest expanding as it took a deep breath in preparation. It then exhaled a mighty jet of pressurized bubbles, its body sliding backwards from the force. Gigalith roared in agony as it was blasted head-on. The feeble creature's knees buckled and it was forced onto its stomach. It winced as it mustered its last ounce of strength and pulled itself off of the ground.

_Damn it,_ Aurelia thought, clenching her teeth. _That thing is a lot more powerful than it looks. Gigalith would be down already if it wasn't for his Sturdy ability. She exploited his low special defense by hitting him with a super effective special attack. _The trainer had been hoping that Skyla would deploy a physical attack—Gigalith's high defense would've kept it up long enough to bombard Swanna with a devastating blow on top of its initial strategic move. _If I use a Potion, I'll just wind up in the same situation. There's no point in wasting my supplies._

"Huh," Skyla mumbled, seemingly disappointed. "I was sure that would knock it out right away."

"I thought you would've known that Gigalith can't be taken down in one hit," Aurelia explained condescendingly, eying her weakened Pokémon. The Compressed Pokémon mashed its foot against the ground, and an array of spiky shards bulleted from the earth and surrounded Skyla's Swanna. The avian creature ruffled its feathers, swinging its head around to observe the field of floating pebbles.

"Ah, yes. I forgot about Gigalith's Sturdy. My expertise revolves around Flying-type Pokémon, you know," Skyla giggled. "That's not a problem, though. Swanna, finish it off with Aerial Ace!" The White Bird Pokémon launched itself towards Aurelia's Gigalith and jabbed its chest with its pointed beak. Gigalith moaned as it collapsed again—but unlike the first time, it didn't get up.

"Well, you tried," Aurelia mumbled as she called back her fainted Pokémon. _Gigalith was my only hope. There's no way I'll be able to win now._ She peered into her bag, studying her remaining two Poké Balls. _Darmanitan shares Gigalith's low special defense and weakness to Water, but he's even worse off because he doesn't have the Sturdy ability. He's probably not as fast as Swanna, too. And I only just caught Axew, so I don't know what she's capable of yet. Seeing as she hasn't evolved, she probably isn't very strong._ Closing her eyes, she pulled out Axew's Poké Ball. _I've still probably got a better chance with her than I do with Darmanitan._ "Get out there, Axew!"

The Tusk Pokémon emerged from its Ball and gazed at its opponent, its eyes wide with fright. It looked up at its trainer timidly, as if it had no idea what she expected of it. "_Kyyyeehh_," it cried in a nervous voice.

"It's as clear as the sky on a cloudless day that you and your Axew haven't formed a very strong bond yet," Skyla commented. "In that case, Swanna and I shouldn't have a hard time taking you down. Now, use Air Slash!" Swanna threw back its wings and gave them a forceful flap, conjuring a wicked blade of air. Axew stood petrified as the attack sliced through its thick skin. The little dragon stumbled backwards, squealing as stinging pain leaped through its body.

"Hang in there, Axew!" Aurelia yelled. "Use Dragon Claw, and give it all you've got!" While Swanna wasn't weak to the Dragon-type, Dragon Claw was a powerful move that took advantage of Axew's superb physical attack stat. She waited for her Pokémon to strike, but to her puzzlement it didn't move. "Hey, snap out of it! What are you doing?"

"That's what makes Air Slash such a useful move!" Skyla exclaimed gleefully. "It has a chance of making the opponent's Pokémon flinch. Handy, isn't it?" Her Swanna folded its wings and held up its head arrogantly.

_You're kidding, right?_ Aurelia decided that any chance she might've had at winning had just gone down the drain. Axew didn't look like it would be able to take another hit, which meant it wouldn't be able to deal a blow of its own. She was already aware that sending out Darmanitan against the dual-typed Pokémon would only result in disaster on her part.

"Air Slash again, Swanna! That should do the trick!" The White Bird Pokémon whipped its wings a second time, knocking Axew off its feet. The olive green creature slammed into the ground, defeated.

Aurelia growled quietly as she made Axew return. _Well, this is it_. She cynically reached for her last Poké Ball. "Come on out, Darmanitan. Try to stay conscious for at least one turn, okay?"

"Ooh, a Fire-type?" Skyla squealed as the Blazing Pokémon was sent out. "Ha, you won't stand a chance!"

"That's what I figured," the trainer sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I think you already know what move I want you to use, Swanna," Skyla laughed. "BubbleBeam now!" The bird released another stream of bubbles, and, just as Aurelia expected, Darmanitan fell immediately.

"All out of useable Pokémon, are you? Aww, you didn't even have a chance to see my other two partners!" Swanna waddled over to its trainer, content with itself. "I noticed that you have a very distinct strategy that might work wonders elsewhere, but puts you at a severe disadvantage when you're up against me. All of your Pokémon are very talented physical attackers, but they're crippled by their slowness and frail special defense. You have nothing to make up for your Gigalith and Darmanitan's weakness to the Water-type, so Swanna's speedy BubbleBeam attack put you in a tough spot. That's something you definitely need to work on."

"I think I've got that covered," Aurelia stated matter-of-factly, shoving her Poké Balls back into her bag. _Damn, I can't believe it. All three of my Pokémon were crushed by her Swanna alone. I can see what I did wrong, though—my tactics are fully to blame, not the structure of my team. Reconstructing my party is unnecessary, and my Pokémon don't require anymore training. All I need to do is rethink my initial approach, and victory will be mine. Once my Pokémon are all rested up, I'll be ready for another go._

As the trainer turned to exit the Gym, Skyla interjected, "Hey, hold up. Another thing I noticed is that you and your Pokémon don't share close relationships, and I'm not just talking about Axew. You never give them praise and helpful support, but you scold them and act frustrated if they do something unsatisfactory. You seem to treat all of them like possessions rather than companions—it's a bit jarring. You have to remember they're living, breathing, thinking creatures with complex emotions, just like you! It's easier to communicate with your Pokémon when you've formed friendships with them, and it's much more satisfying to celebrate victories than it is to wallow in disappointment. You should lighten up and see your Pokémon for who they really are—that's what being a trainer is all about! In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter if you win or lose. What really counts is the powerful bonds you develop with your Pokémon!"

Aurelia cast the Gym Leader a contemptuous glare, anger flickering in her eyes like strands of emerald fire. _Bitch, you have no right to judge how well I treat my Pokémon. This is the first time we've met. You don't know anything about me. I bet you don't even know my name. What the hell makes you think you know me well enough to make an imprudent statement like that? My Pokémon and I get along well enough, thank you very much. I don't need to shower them with sing-song extolments to get them to listen, and I don't need your fanatical optimism to get me to win!_ Without saying a word, she stormed out of the building. _You can bet that I'll be back, and I'll show you not to make such conceited judgments! _

—

"Go, Gigalith!" A new day had settled upon Mistralton, and Aurelia was raring to finish what she had started. _If everything goes as planned, this won't take very long. Of course, unlike last time, the outcome will be in my favor._ Now that she had invested faith in her reformed strategy, she was ready to put her embarrassing defeat behind her and leave the city for good. Skyla was the sixth Gym Leader in the Unova League, which meant that once Aurelia had won the Jet Badge, there would only be two more Gyms in her path before she could take on the Elite Four.

"Oh, you're using Gigalith again? Hee-hee, this is gonna be great!" Skyla gazed at her Swanna, which was roosting by her side. "Swanna, water it down with a BubbleBeam!" The feathered Pokémon snapped awake and strutted towards its opponent before prying open its beak and unleashing the Water-type move.

Aurelia bit her lip as the Gigalith took the toll of the attack. Once it had recovered, she instructed, "Gigalith, use Rock Slide this time!" The monster roared fearsomely as it pounded its forelegs against the ground, dislodging dozens of heavy stones from the earth and flinging them at its foe. The White Bird Pokémon squawked as it was pummeled.

"Swanna, no!" Skyla cried, rushing over to her Pokémon. She sucked in a breath, noticing that it was unconscious. "You did a good job! Return now and get some rest." The Gym Leader turned to Aurelia as she called back her defeated Swanna. "Wow, impressive! You've certainly turned the tables this time around!"

Aurelia hid a smile. _Yeah, that's right. It's amazing how one tiny change can ultimately decide the victor of a battle. Sometimes, sheer force is the best way to go._ Her Gigalith was panting and struggling to hold up the weight of its bulky body. _It's obvious that he won't be sticking around for much longer. Hey, wait a minute!_ Hit with a realization, the trainer pulled a small container filled with bright pink liquid out of her bag. _Now that I don't have to worry about Swanna's BubbleBeam anymore, there's no risk in using a Hyper Potion. Surely whatever she sends out next won't have a type advantage over Gigalith?_

"The battle isn't over yet, though! Unfezant, I choose you!" Skyla yelled as she sent out a mottled gray and brown raptor with piercing gold eyes. "Use Quick Attack! That should do the trick!" Unfezant warbled and glided forward, but before it made contact with its opponent, Aurelia spritzed her Gigalith with the Hyper Potion. A cloud of pink mist enveloped the rocky monster, seeping into its wounds and replenishing its energy. Gigalith barked proudly, a fervent light burning in its eyes. It stood still as the bird raked its chest with its talons, nearly completely unaffected.

"Gah, I didn't see that coming!" Skyla shouted in bewilderment. "Don't lose hope yet, Unfezant! Strike him with an Air Slash!" The Proud Pokémon gave its wings a mighty beat, unleashing sharp bursts of air. The attack buffeted off of Gigalith's sturdy body, doing very little damage to the beast.

_That's more like it!_ Aurelia did a small fist pump. "Rock Slide again, Gigalith!"

The rocky goliath launched another volley of stones, only for Skyla to scream, "Dodge it, Unfezant!" The bird cawed and soared out of the way in the nick of time, narrowly avoiding being crushed. "Air Slash, let's go!"

_It's always Air Slash, Air Slash, Air Slash. Doesn't she have any other moves in her arsenal?_ As dull as the battle was turning out to be, Aurelia was glad that the not very effective Air Slash was the best Skyla's Pokémon could manage. While it was a special move, Gigalith's resistance to the Flying-type countered any weaknesses it may have had to it. "Give it another Rock Slide, Gigalith!" Aurelia seemed to ignore the fact that her commands were equally repetitive. Since Gigalith's attack was its highest stat, the physical Rock Slide was a potentially lethal move.

Unfezant attempted to wheel out of the way, but this time it didn't manage to escape from the battering downpour of stones. The winged creature vanished beneath a tomb of rocks, only for it to unearth itself a moment later. Unfezant wobbled about on unsteady legs for a few seconds before it finally crashed to the ground. "Agh, Unfezant! You should've been able to endure that!" Skyla cried as she called back the fainted Pokémon. "But that's okay! You were still great!"

"Gigalith must've landed a critical hit," Aurelia mused, crossing her arms. _Skyla said she had three Pokémon, which means she's onto her last one. I've got two Pokémon with full health, and Gigalith doesn't look like he'll be down for a while. There's no way I can lose now._

"You've certainly been hit by a spell of luck. I would've never guessed your second match would go so smoothly," the Gym Leader sneered. Frowning, Skyla pulled out her last Poké Ball. "Looks like it's time for me to play my trump card. Give it your all, Swoobat!" She released a bright blue bat Pokémon with leathery black wings, a wild ruff of pale fur around its neck, pointy ears and fangs, and a distinguishing heart-shaped nose.

_So, that's her last resort?_ Aurelia studied her opponent's final Pokémon intently. _Another glass cannon, it would seem. As long as Gigalith endures whatever attack it sends his way, the thing will be down in no time. If I'm remembering correctly, Swoobat is a Psychic and Flying-type, so it shouldn't pose any inherent threats to Gigalith. _

"Take it down with an Energy Ball!" Skyla directed. The Courting Pokémon squeaked loudly, a sphere of harsh green light materializing in its mouth.

_Oh, hell. Why in the world does it know that?_ Wincing, Aurelia watched as the attack collided with her Gigalith. The monster staggered backwards before falling onto its side, and she resentfully called it back. _Great, so much for that. I'm still winning by a long shot, though. It shouldn't matter if I use Darmanitan or Axew, since they're both resistant to the Grass-type. Darmanitan has more experience, so I should probably use him._ She let out the fiery ape, anticipating Skyla's next move.

"Psychic now, Swoobat!" A quiet humming noise emitted from the bat's body as its eyes glowed a bright cyan. Darmanitan made a choking noise as it was knocked onto the floor, its bones creaking as Skyla's Pokémon twisted its limbs with its mind. When it was freed from the fierce attack, Darmanitan stood up agitatedly.

"Try a Fire Punch!" yelled Aurelia. Flames shooting from its fingertips, the Blazing Pokémon balled its hand into a fist and swung its arm back before leaping up and slamming Swoobat with a devastating blow. Swoobat cried as its body smashed to the ground, but it swiftly climbed back into the air. _Seriously? I thought Darmanitan was tougher than that._

"Good job, Swoobat! Let's see some Acrobatics!" The Courting Pokémon nimbly dove forward and tackled the primate. Darmanitan, unable to withstand the toll of the strike, fainted instantly.

Aurelia gritted her teeth, returning Darmanitan to its Poké Ball. _As long as that thing doesn't know any Ice or Dragon-type moves, I'll be in good shape. Darmanitan already did a lot of damage, so if Axew hits it, it'll all be over for Skyla._

As soon as the Tusk Pokémon was sent out, Skyla ordered, "Attack with Psychic again!" Axew squealed and tried to flee before it lost control of its body. It stumbled onto its knees when Swoobat took over, its head reeling back until its neck nearly snapped. It crumpled to the ground, twitching uncontrollably.

"Get up, damn it! Get up!" Aurelia screeched, consumed by rage. The Tusk Pokémon pathetically rose to its feet, quivering with nervous energy. _Thank Arceus!_ Aurelia gave a grin of relief. "Dragon Claw, use Dragon Claw!" she commanded impatiently. Axew yelped and started to charge at its opponent.

"Quick, Swoobat! Get out of the way!" Skyla exclaimed a second too late. The little dragon launched itself at Swoobat, blue fire burning at the tips of its claws. It hooked them into the Courting Pokémon's skin, ripping it from head to toe. Swoobat plummeted from the sky, defeated at last.

_Yes, I did it! Now I can finally accept my Badge and leave this silly little town._ Without saying a word, Aurelia put Axew back into its Poké Ball

"Oh, Swoobat! Victory was so close!" the Gym Leader whined, staring at her fallen Pokémon in shock. Withdrawing Swoobat from the battlefield, Skyla stepped closer to the trainer. "What a nerve-wracking match! You certainly stepped up your game. Above all else, you deserve this." She pulled a small drawstring bag from her pocket, reached into it, and slipped a metal object into Aurelia's open palm. It was a gold-rimmed turquoise charm shaped like a feather with a soaring bird at the bottom—the Jet Badge, proof that she had beaten the sixth Gym of the Unova League.

"Thanks," Aurelia said unenthusiastically, taking out her Badge case and pressing it into its indentation. "I'll take my leave now."

Skyla uneasily rolled the Poké Ball in her hand as the trainer made her way towards the door. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm actually suited to be a Gym Leader," she mumbled quietly, not caring if Aurelia was listening. "When I really think about who I am, it makes me feel like a horrible person. They say the sky's the limit… birds should be able to fly free and go wherever they please. They shouldn't be kept in tiny cages, or used for transportation. We've reached a level of technology where that's no longer necessary."

The trainer rolled her eyes. _Not this bull again. I'm outta here._ She let the door slam behind her, keeping her back turned to the Mistralton Gym as she headed for the Pokémon Center.

—

Aurelia absently stared at the ceiling, a feeling of loneliness heavy in her heart. She was sitting in the storage closet, her only company being the boxes of food that surrounded her. After finding Colby's corpse and watching Destiny have a breakdown, she had lost all determination to find her bag. She had already accepted the fact that she was never going to find it.

_My badges, my trainer ID… everything that made me who I am, gone forever. I'll never see my Pokémon again, either._ Guilt piled in Aurelia's chest as she remembered her apathy towards them. _Maybe I wasn't that great of a trainer. They depended on me… they were the only ones there for me, and I still let them down. There's no way for me to fix that, though. I'm not a trainer anymore. I'm the Pokémon now. Maybe this is fate's way of punishing me for what I did._ _I wish I could go back in time. What if I could prevent all of this from happening somehow? Is fate really to blame for this, or was it my own personal choices that got me here? _She let out a haggard sigh, closing her eyes. As tired as she was, she knew she wouldn't be able to get any sleep. _Today's been such a painfully long, eventful day. It's like it never wants to end. But if things work out the way I know they will, tomorrow will be even worse. _

The scream of Destiny's Pokémon form pierced the silence, shaking Aurelia from her thoughts. At first, she didn't care. _She must still be freaking out. I bet turning into that bug thing only made things worse for her._ She narrowed her eyes when the odor of burning metal drifted into her nostrils. _Well, that's a little weird. Maybe I should go check on her. The idiot probably set the building on fire somehow._ Yawning, she stood up and began to pace down the long hallway.

**[Author's note: **_**Okay, I'll admit that I have absolutely no idea how to write Pokémon battles. Good thing this is most likely the last one I'll have to write (well, of the trainer vs. trainer variety—trainer vs. wild Pokémon and wild Pokémon vs. wild Pokémon are much easier). Although I had been planning on using Skyla's movesets from Black and White, I ended up using Swoobat's arsenal from Black 2 and White 2's challenge mode to make the battle less linear.**_**]**


	34. Sentinel

Partially submerged in motionless blue water, the ancient Dragonspiral Tower stretched into the clouds. A half-rotted wooden walkway trailed from its gaping entrance, and a graffiti-ridden sign reading **NO TRESPASSING VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED** dangled from a chain link fence that closed it off from Icirrus City. Dragon swallowed hard as Archeops descended upon the bridge, praying that no one was watching. Fortunately, the crumbling ruins were hidden in the moor far beyond the edge of the city. _Ben was right. Security isn't really tight out in these boondocks._

The grunt hopped off of hisPokémon's back, landing on the black walkway with a thud. The old structure had sustained serious water damage, and Dragon wouldn't have been surprised if it caved in underneath him. He edged toward the castle, the wooden planks creaking beneath his feet. Soaring a short distance behind its trainer, Archeops grumbled apprehensively. The abundance of decay paired with the knowledge that the place was off limits gave it a disconcerting, perilous aura. Dragon had never gone spelunking before; this was an entirely new experience for him.

Most of the castle's interior was underwater. Marble statues of Pokémon littered the lakebed, barely visible beneath the dark water. _Arceus help me if the Light Stone's down there,_ the grunt thought, crouching down and peering in. A narrow path of damp jade tiles stretched along the wall, leading to a steep staircase. Dragon took caution not to slip as he made the trek. _I wonder how many floors this place has; it's massive. Something tells me it's going to take me a long time to find the thing, if I even manage to locate it at all. _He reluctantly groaned before scaling the stairs.

Dragon appreciated that the next floor was much dryer. The air had a rather stale quality to it. The ground was coated in dust and debris, and broken columns were stacked on top of each other. He pulled himself onto a fallen pillar before cupping his hand over his eyes and scouting the area. Dragon admitted that he wasn't exactly sure what he was looking for; he didn't know the size or shape of the Light Stone, or even what color it was. What could the petrified soul of a divine white dragon look like? He imagined it as a smooth, glowing oval, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be that convenient. Its name at least signified that it was light in color, which would most likely allow the colorblind Archeops to distinguish it from other rock fragments.

A burly creature was nesting on the apex of a pillar that remained largely intact, its thick limbs and tail hanging from the sides. Its blood-colored head stood out from its calloused cobalt body, looking as if it had ripped the face off of another monster and decided to wear it as a mask. Thorny wings that didn't look large enough to support the monster's weight were neatly folded against its back. It snored as it restlessly shifted in its sleep.

_That's a Druddigon, isn't it?_ Dragon gazed up at the creature, mesmerized. There was something he admired about the power and might of dragons, which was why he had given himself his nickname. It seemed like everyone besides him had a dragon to call his own—Ben could turn himself into the Legendary Zekrom, Ghetsis worked with a menacing Hydreigon, and N was soon to become the master of Reshiram. This Druddigon was right in front of him, just waiting for him to throw a Poké Ball at it. As tempting of an opportunity as it was, Dragon restrained himself. Once he found the Light Stone, all Pokémon would be liberated from their trainers—why would he want to catch a new one? He was having a hard enough time accepting that he and Archeops were going to be separated. The grunt forced himself onward, taking one last glance at the snoozing beast.

_I wonder what this castle was like in its glory days._ According to Unovan mythology, the two brothers who united the region and their sons ruled from the Dragonspiral Tower. It fascinated Dragon to think that he was walking where such important figures once stepped. _Maybe when I become a legend, I'll have a castle built in my honor._ Now that he had arrived at the location, the excitement was starting to get to his head. Lost in his fantasies, he never once looked at Archeops.

The Pokémon didn't understand: its trainer promised they would make the best of their last adventure, so why was he ignoring it? He had left its Poké Ball at his dorm to reinforce the idea that the First Bird Pokémon would soon be free; was this another reminder that they'd part ways? Archeops didn't like it. It longed to hear Dragon's kind voice, but it didn't want to distract him from his job. It loyally trailed behind him, still slightly unnerved by the old place's sinister atmosphere.

Dragon's legs ached by the time he reached the final level of the tower. Like the rest of the castle, it was in ruins. Two dusty thrones that hadn't been occupied in centuries, one black and one white, sat against the wall. A towering, lifeless automaton stood in the center of the room, watchfully looking over the desolate grounds. A skylight had shattered, leaving shards of glass scattered across the floor. _Aww man, I could've flown right in through here if I had known about this._ He had thoroughly investigated the entire tower to no avail—unless N was mistaken, the Light Stone had to have been somewhere on this floor.

The grunt approached the archaic automaton, marveling at its imposing size. The golem had been carved out of clay and slathered with thin layers of cyan and ocher paint. Its body was weathered and uneven, but it still retained a humanoid shape. Its broad torso was supported by a pair of massive legs, and two colossal arms rested at its sides. Even though it clearly hadn't been used in ages, Dragon felt uncomfortable in its presence—the Golurk looked like it would spring to life at any given moment. He didn't know a lot about technology, but he thought it was impressive that something so large and complex had been constructed long before modern times.

Dragon walked up to the twin thrones, taking notice of an oxidized silver chest between the two of them. He pried it open without thinking, the hinges creaking as the inside was exposed to fresh air for the first time in hundreds of years. Dragon gasped at the sight of a milky white orb about the size of his head, which was resting on an azure silk pillow. _This is it! This is the Light Stone! I found it!_ He laughed merrily as he scooped it up in his arms. Its texture was similar to blown glass, and despite its size it was exceptionally light. It appeared to be filled with a swirling, gaseous substance—was this Reshiram's soul?

"Hello, Reshiram," the grunt whispered amiably, cradling the relic. He wondered if the disembodied soul could hear his voice. "I hope you've slept well, because the hero you've been waiting for has arrived. I'll bring you to him." Dragon wished he could be the one to awaken Reshiram, but he understood that he had a different role to fulfill and he was glad he was at least able to hold the Light Stone in his hands. Before he could turn around, Archeops abruptly barreled into him and knocked him off his feet. The white sphere flew from his grasp and rolled into the wall.

"What in the world has gotten into you, Archeops?" Dragon rebuked. His gaze flew to the relic, and he was relieved to see it was still in one piece. "Be careful! What would I tell Lord N if I returned with a broken Light Stone?" The First Bird Pokémon warbled frenziedly in reply, but it was cut off by an earth shattering crash. To Dragon's horror, the Golurk's fist was entrenched in the floor right where he had been standing seconds ago. The automaton, which slowly raised its arm and straightened its back, was lit with a pale yellow glow. Its hand was laden with razor-sharp fragments of glass, but it didn't appear to be in pain. The grunt's immersion in his discovery had left him deaf to the behemoth's dragging footsteps. _Good Arceus, I should've known this wouldn't be so simple!_ Now that he thought about it, it seemed strange that the Light Stone hadn't been stolen in spite of the smashed skylight. This Golurk must have been terribly formidable if it had managed to keep intruders away for such a long time.

"YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO BE HERE. EVACUATE THE PREMISES IMMEDIATELY." The automaton spoke in a booming, mechanical-sounding voice. It relayed the phrase with each step it took, its speech never stalling or faltering. Because of this, Dragon inferred it was a recording; there must have been some kind of sound-playing device attached to the Pokémon. _The amount of technology these people had back then is mind-blowing. _

"Quick, Archeops! Grab the Light Stone! We need to get out of here!" Dragon yelled, hurriedly backpedaling as the Golurk uncoordinatedly lumbered in his direction. Archeops cawed and made a dive for the relic, but it was thrown aside by a blast of energy before it had a chance to clench it in its mouth. The Automaton Pokémon then stomped on a floorboard, which popped up and launched the Light Stone toward it. The orb rolled by its feet, and it arched its back as it bent over and gently picked it up.

_Just perfect, _the grunt muttered in his head as he rushed over to his Archeops. _How in the world are we supposed to get it away from that thing? We don't stand a chance!_ Even though he knew the Golurk was unrivaled in strength, Dragon refused to let it best him. He had come so far to find the Light Stone, and there was no way he'd allow his struggles to be in vain. _It will be a challenge, but maybe Archeops and I will pull through if we give it our all._

"Crunch now, Archeops!" he ordered boldly. Golurk was partially Ghost-type, so Archeops's mighty Dark-type move would be strong against it. His Pokémon screeched and whipped around, lunging at its enemy with its jaws wide open. Before it had a chance to strike, the Golurk forcefully slugged it in the chest. The feathered creature shrieked as blood spurted from its wound, which was torn and embedded with tiny pieces of glass. _It's using the broken glass as a weapon! _Dragon realized in dismay. _If we're not careful, Archeops could end up seriously hurt! We need to attack it from a distance, where it won't be able to hit him. Since it moves so slowly, we should be relatively safe._

Panicking, Archeops panted as it inspected the wet feathers at its breast. Was it worth it to put his Pokémon in so much danger over something like this? It made Dragon feel selfish and cruel, but he decided it needed to be done. "Back up and try DragonBreath! You can do this, buddy!"

Archeops moaned as it soared to the other side of the room, its body near to the floor. It halfheartedly exhaled a breath of flame, fighting to keep itself from being grounded. The Golurk defensively blocked its face with its gigantic hands, and it began to lumber toward the First Bird Pokémon after it had finished its attack. The timid Archeops whimpered and floated away fearfully, keeping a vigilant eye on its opponent.

_It uses its hands both offensively and defensively,_ Dragon observed. _If we strike it where it won't be able to reach, we might be able to inflict some damage._ He shouted, "Use DragonBreath and aim for the legs!" Nervously hovering in place, Archeops hesitantly spat out a burst of violet fire. The flare rocketed toward the behemoth's feet, and, despite its efforts to dodge, exploded into a torrent of flame. The Golurk staggered, its lack of a voice keeping its cries silent.

"That's it!" Dragon was beaming. "Keep it up, Archeops!" The grunt's enthusiasm did little to influence his Pokémon's apprehension. Archeops's movements continued to slow as its injury got the better of it, but the strong willed creature pushed on. It unleashed a volley of fireballs, each one colliding with the Golurk's enormous legs. Even though it was clearly at a disadvantage now, the automaton continued to defend the relic with all the might it could muster. It released a series of energy beams, but they were all deflected by Archeops's attacks. The Golurk was a titan when it came to physical strength, but its special attack stat was piteously frail.

Confident in his strategy, Dragon proposed a new idea that he hoped would speed things up. "Get down low and use Crunch on its knees!"Archeops froze, dropping to the ground as it failed to beat its wings. For once, the Pokémon held back—there was a genuine look of fear in the creature's slanted eyes. The grunt frowned in frustration, but used a gentle tone to address his Pokémon. "Don't be scared, Archeops. I believe in you!"

Archeops dipped its head submissively, letting out a wheezing purr. It glided up to the automaton, ducking to narrowly avoid being swatted by its giant hands. The First Bird Pokémon stood on its talons to ensure that no pieces of glass would become wedged in the soft soles of its feet. It unhinged its jaws and reeled its head back before swiftly snapping at the Golurk's leg, which was diminutive in comparison to the rest of its body. It plunged its teeth into the dry clay, tossing its head from side to side as it fastened itself to the limb. The automaton frenetically waved its arms, despairingly doing whatever it could to try to ward off its attacker. Archeops remained firmly attached to the golem's leg, harnessing its considerable bite force to crack the sturdy pillar of clay. With one last powerful heave, the limb crumbled and broke in half. Archeops could only watch in pure terror as the Golurk's unbalanced body collapsed on top of it, shattering into pieces as it smashed against the ground. The Light Stone rolled away from the wreck, not even a scratch marring its resplendent form.

"Oh, Arceus, no!" Dragon wailed, throwing himself into the rubble. Archeops screamed as it madly flailed about on the floor, its wing trapped underneath a chunk of the automaton's torso. Bits of crushed glass sliced and penetrated the Pokémon's body, and the dusty tiles began to turn red as Archeops smeared the steady trickle of blood flowing from its cuts against them. "Calm down, buddy, calm down! I'll help you! It'll be all right!" The grunt's frantic exclamations did little to ease his Pokémon.

Dragon pressed his palms against the Golurk's remains and pushed with all his might, but they would not budge. He rammed his shoulder into it, shoving until his muscles gave out. _Why didn't I bring Archeops's Poké Ball? I've got some empty ones with me, but those won't do me any good._ Using technology that was beyond Dragon's level of comprehension, the spherical devices were capable of pulling in and storing a Pokémon no matter the circumstances. Poké Balls were human inventions—if people and Pokémon were divided, Pokémon would no longer have access to these valuable tools. Potions, Pokémon Centers, and medical clinics were all created by humans as well. If a Pokémon were to be injured in a world without people, what choices did it have? Not only did humans depend on Pokémon for money and entertainment, but Pokémon benefitted from human equipment and medicinal treatment far too advanced for them to develop on their own. Without intervention from trainers and health specialists, many Pokémon would have perished from maladies that were easily preventable.

His face damp with sweat, Dragon gave up. Archeops continued to thrash wildly, oscillating between stressed breathing and tortured cries. There was no way he'd be able to move the heavy torso, which comprised most of the automaton's weight. What could he possibly do to rescue his feathered friend? Since he couldn't fly out through the broken skylight, it would take a long time for him to travel down the stairs and leave Dragonspiral Tower to seek help. Additionally, if he let anyone know that he had been trespassing in the old castle, he'd have some major problems at hand. It was all unimportant in comparison to his beloved Pokémon's wellbeing, but it would be so much easier if he could avoid such a big hassle. If only Dragon was stronger, or had another Pokémon to count on….

_That's it,_ he thought as he was struck by an epiphany, _the Druddigon!_ The Cave Pokémon's body bulged with muscles; it would certainly be able to free Archeops. Since he had a number of unoccupied Poké Balls at his disposal, he would have no problem getting the Druddigon to aid him. He had sworn off catching it earlier, but this situation required desperate measures.

"Hold tight, Archeops," said Dragon, unsure of whether his Pokémon could hear him or not. Not wanting to let Archeops's courageous efforts go to waste, he seized the Light Stone and placed it in his bag. He then darted away from the wreckage, praying his Pokémon wouldn't think he was abandoning it. The grunt vaulted down a seemingly unending series of stairways, nearly losing his footing on several occasions in his haste. He felt like he would pass out by the time he reached the level where the Druddigon was nesting. The brawny creature was in the same position as he had last seen it, leaving it vulnerable to a surprise attack.

_Here goes nothing._ Catching a Pokémon without weakening it first was quite the endeavor, but he had no choice. Arming himself with a Poké Ball, Dragon crept up to the slumbering Druddigon. When he was a reasonable distance away from it, he hurled the round object. The Poké Ball whizzed toward it, colliding with its rock-hard head. Before it knew what hit it, the Pokémon was dragged into the Ball. The device rolled off of the column and onto the floor, tossing and turning as the Druddigon fought to free itself. It sprang from the Poké Ball in a matter of seconds, raising its arms above its head and roaring aggressively. It fanned its wings to make itself look bigger and clawed at the air as it angrily stormed up to Dragon.

The grunt backed away slowly, not wanting to upset the monster by making any sudden movements. "I don't want to hurt you!" he told it in a hushed voice. "Please, I just need your help!" He thought of pacifying it with a tasty Babiri Berry, only to remember that Archeops had devoured all of them. The Druddigon hissed venomously, vomiting a glob of foul-smelling acid that came inches from spilling onto Dragon's foot. Knowing he'd be in danger no matter what, the grunt sprinted and ducked behind a nearby pillar, narrowly dodging the Pokémon's fiery breath.

_I can't do this without Archeops!_ Dragon realized, preparing to take off again. He wasn't a Pokémon, nor was he a hybrid—he was a defenseless sack of flesh whose only weapon was his brain. Superior intellect just wasn't the answer in some situations, though, especially since Dragon was far from being a genius. There were times when brute force was the option, which was another reason why it was so common for people to partner with Pokémon. Their array of awe-inspiring powers, paired with their natural tendency to be unyieldingly loyal, made Pokémon exceptional guardians—it was because of this that parents felt comfortable letting their ten-year-old children roam the streets. The guidance of trainers also allowed Pokémon to hone their abilities and unlock potential that they may have never been able to find by themselves.

The Druddigon swung its arm around the column, tearing through a corner of Dragon's uniform with its razor-sharp claws. The hulking beast chased the boy on its stocky legs as he fled, its tail thudding against the floor. The grunt took shelter behind another pillar, drawing a Poké Ball from his belt. _I've gotta keep trying. I don't care how many Poké Balls I have to go through; I don't care if I get hurt. I can't let Archeops die after all he's done for me._

The Cave Pokémon leaped onto the pillar with a flap of its wings, and then lowered its head and snarled at Dragon. He pitched the Poké Ball before it had a chance to attack, nailing it in the chest. The grunt crossed his fingers as the Druddigon was pulled into the object, taking a few steps back in case it emerged again—which was exactly what it did. Enraged, the scaly creature stomped on the Poké Ball and snapped it in half.

"Come on," Dragon begged pathetically, scared to think of how Archeops was faring. "I'm sorry that I woke you up! I didn't want to catch you, but I have to! My friend is going to die, and you're his only hope!" He knew his words wouldn't have any effect on the exasperated Pokémon, but his hope was wearing thin and there was not much else he could do. "Please, I'll do anything!"

The Druddigon scoffed at his offer and swung its arm, attempting to slash at him. Dragon continued to pace backwards as he withdrew a third Poké Ball, noticing in dismay that his supply was running low. _No… please, no. _Overcome with worry, he threw the object. His heart pounded against his chest as he watched the Poké Ball shake in silence. It rocked back and forth, veering left and right for what felt like an eternity. It then stopped dead, indicating that the Pokémon had been captured.

The grunt let out a joyous cheer. _I did it!_ With a relieved grin painted on his face, he approached his newly caught Druddigon and picked up the Ball containing it. "I'm so sorry I had to do this," he whispered apologetically. "Don't worry. If everything goes as planned, I won't be your trainer for long."

Not paying any mind to his aching legs, Dragon returned to the pinnacle of the tower as fast as he could manage. Archeops, who had quit struggling minutes ago, lay in a bloody heap, its chest rapidly rising and contracting as it fought to breathe. Aside from a pitiful whimper, it was unresponsive to its trainer's arrival. "I'm here, boy, don't worry. I'll get you some help."

He held out Druddigon's Poké Ball, releasing the monster from the tiny capsule. The Cave Pokémon grumbled and flared its nostrils, intently surveying its new environment. It swiped its tongue around its toothy jaws as it caught sight of the trapped Archeops and promptly marched up to it. "That's a good girl," Dragon praised, impressed that the Pokémon seemingly knew what to do without instruction. To be safe, he commanded, "Druddigon, please push the rubble off of Archeops. Thank you so much for working with me!"

Druddigon stood over the First Bird Pokémon, gnashing its teeth and snorting. Dragon grew concerned when the creature failed to follow through with his order. "C'mon, girl, we need to get Archeops out of here as soon as possible. We don't have time to stall!" Druddigon shot him a quick glance, and then lunged at Archeops. It bit down on the other Pokémon's shoulder, sinking its fangs into its already torn flesh. Archeops squealed in agony, beginning to thrash again.

Dragon gasped, "Druddigon, stop! Good Arceus, stop!" The Cave Pokémon ignored him, ripping a tattered strip of tissue from the shrieking Archeops. It whipped its head back, letting the meat slide down its gullet. Druddigon attacked a second time, planting its jaws at the base of Archeops's buried wing. It violently shook from side to side, yanking the First Bird Pokémon's tender flesh from bone. The monster stumbled backwards with Archeops in its mouth, the creature's now severed wing still stuck beneath a crypt of clay.

"Oh… Arceus." The grunt fell to his knees, feeling ill. He shakily pulled out Druddigon's Poké Ball, calling it back before it had an opportunity to devour more of Archeops's body. Once the Cave Pokémon was securely locked in its Ball, he ran up to the dying creature. He wrapped his arms around its trembling figure, pressing it against his chest in an embrace. Sputtering miserably, Archeops gave him a pleading look before shutting its eyes and setting its head on his shoulder. "I'll get you out of here," Dragon choked, bile rising in his throat. He cradled his Pokémon's limp body, blood soaking his filthy uniform. "I'll get you help."

**[Author's note: **_**I've rearranged the chapters to balance out the two arcs. With the new order, odd chapters follow the characters who met in the forest north of Mistralton (Destiny, Colby, and Aurelia) and even chapters are from the perspective of the characters who united at the P2 Laboratory (Dragon, Ben, and N).**_**] **


	35. Fight or Flight

[Author's note: _If you were notified of a new chapter via email, you were most likely redirected to this chapter, which has been out for a few weeks. This is because I rearranged the order of the chapters; "Sentinel", the chapter I just submitted, has been moved to chapter thirty-four, and "Fight or Flight", the old chapter, has taken its place as chapter thirty-five. I apologize for the inconvenience._]

Bursts of water cascaded off of Destiny's head, dripping down her bulbous eyes and seeping into the gaps between her teeth. The hybrid wheezed as her consciousness gradually returned, struggling to expel the liquid from her lungs. Blistering pain continued to fiercely throb throughout her body, which felt as if it had become twice as heavy. A figure was crouched in front of her, but she couldn't make out what it was through her blurry vision. Destiny lifted one of her arms and attempted to rub her eyes, only to remember that it had become metallic and inflexible. "_Grrrghh_," the insect groaned in frustration.

Darkness enveloped her sight, and Destiny realized that the figure was dabbing at her face with something soft. Surprisingly, she didn't find it irritating or uncomfortable; her unblinking red eyes were not sensitive and appeared to be made out of the same material as the rest of her body. The figure pulled back, leaving misty smudges across her vision. "You've got some freaky-ass eyes, you know that?" It took her a few seconds to identify the speaker as Aurelia. Hearing the other hybrid's voice made everything come back to her; memories of Colby's disfigured corpse and the enraged Ditto's fiery assault were sent tumbling through her brain. Overwhelmed, Destiny let out a strangled cry.

Aurelia, who was gripping a half-empty bottle of water, exclaimed, "Calm down, will ya? What in the world happened to you? Did you spontaneously combust or something?" It was odd to see the unfriendly hybrid showing concern for once, as if she had no recollection of her furious outburst. Destiny wasn't sure if she could forgive her for that. Her injuries must have been terribly severe if the spiteful Aurelia felt the need to tend to them, which wasn't a pleasant thought. "You'll probably be fine; my Pokémon have gotten hurt like this plenty of times before, and they turned out all right."

_Where is the Ditto?_ Paranoia spiking in her heart, Destiny slid her head from side to side as she tried to survey her surroundings. After seeing what the Transform Pokémon did to the Suicune hybrid, she was sure it would have made a meal out of her as well. Then again, Destiny was covered from head to toe in sturdy armor; since the Ditto already had two fresh carcasses to feed off of, it probably wouldn't be worth the trouble of peeling off her exoskeleton. Not knowing where the Ditto was still made Destiny ill at ease. There was something distressing about the thought that the malevolent creature could be anywhere, assuming any shape...

_Imposter!_ Destiny let out a panicked screech as she lashed out at Aurelia, grazing her ankle. The way she had been acting was awfully uncanny, which gave the insect hybrid all the more reason to believe something wasn't right. However, as she knew very little about Pokémon, she failed to recognize that Ditto were typically incapable of human speech no matter how well disguised they were. It also hadn't occurred to her that it would be equally unlikely for the destructive Transform Pokémon to want to help her.

"Hey! What the hell was that all about?" Aurelia yelped, staggering backwards as she inspected her wound. She then set her cold jade gaze on the other hybrid. "Look. I know you're mad at me, but I'm trying to help you, damn it. You would've been burnt to a crisp if I hadn't stepped in. I'd prefer not to share this place with three dead bodies; it's going to start to smell."

Destiny apologetically bowed her head, frightened by the girl's harsh tone. _Only Aurelia would say something that insensitive. I guess that means she's the real deal._ Debunking her theory did little to reassure the metal insect; the Ditto was still missing. "_Wrrriiiooooggh_," she warned timidly, carefully annunciating each syllable.

"Pardon? I don't speak giant bug." Aurelia winced as she applied pressure to her sore ankle. "If I can use telepathy, you probably can, too. It's not too hard to figure out; it's like talking, except you don't use your voice."

Destiny was unfamiliar with the term "telepathy", but she guessed that was what let Aurelia communicate in her Arceus form. How could someone speak without a voice and still be heard? She didn't bother questioning something she knew so little about. Very few things about Pokémon made sense to her, which made her glad to have decided against becoming a trainer. _Can you hear me now?_ Destiny thought as she visualized the words slithering out of her head and into Aurelia's. She expectantly stared up at the girl, who retaliated by mirroring her expression.

"Well?" Aurelia impatiently crossed her arms. Destiny lowered her head somberly, to which the other girl murmured, "You're hopeless. How good are you at charades?"

_I barely know how my body works, so what makes you think I'd be able to do that?_ The insect's stiff joints and lack of digits greatly limited her movement, which made even walking a difficult task. As demonstrated earlier, the only form of communication she was capable of was scratching words into the dirt, but that was out of the question seeing as the floor was covered in marble tiles.

Destiny knew that they needed to leave the building as soon as possible; keeping safe from the dangers lurking behind every corner far outweighed the promise of a full belly. At this point, she could care less whether Aurelia came with her or not. While her Pokémon expertise was valuable, Destiny would've loved to put as much distance between the two of them as possible. She'd work on figuring out what to do for food and shelter later.

At that moment, the hybrid was crossed by a memory from when she had first encountered her two companions. After meeting up with her and Colby, Aurelia immediately asked where they were. The now deceased boy reported that they were in a forest north of Mistralton City, which was where Destiny lived. If she could find her way back to civilization, perhaps she could seek refuge in her house. Surely her parents would accept that their daughter had turned into a human-sized insect? _There's a reason why I chose not to go off on my own earlier. It's risky, but it's gotta be a better option than sticking around here. Heading home may be my only hope._

She stretched her leg, trying her best to ignore the shooting pain. Slowly rising to her feet, Destiny did everything she could to avoid collapsing. Why was this creature's upper body so disproportionate to its other half? It made her wonder how actual members of the species lived with the awkwardness. _I can see why this thing apparently doesn't exist in the wild._ Once she was standing on two feet, she began to laboriously lumber down the hall.

"Where do you think you're going?" Aurelia inquired halfheartedly, effortlessly catching up with the other hybrid. Destiny rotated her head and shot her a look of annoyance. "Going to get a snack? You're probably hungry, since you, ah, lost your supper. How does that bug-thing even eat? I've never seen you with your mouth open."

Destiny's lingering hunger pangs were the least of her concerns, especially since it was true that her mouth was permanently sealed in a grin. This furthered her doubt in the creature's ability to live a normal life. She loathed this particular trait of its appearance more than anything else—its expression remained dreadfully gleeful no matter what thoughts were circulating under its metal shell. This perpetual smile had undoubtedly been carved on her face when she was first met with the horror of her transformation, when she was forced to sit through Aurelia's pitiless mockery, and when she was set ablaze by the rampaging Ditto. The thought of it frustrated the hybrid to no end.

Without acknowledging Aurelia's comments, Destiny wordlessly made her way down the main hall and limped into the next corridor. Relief fluttered through her heart when the set of doors leading to the forest came into view. Enthusiasm returning to her weary mind, she picked up her pace. _Just a few more steps and I'll never have to look at this hell house again._

Aurelia froze, tilting back her head. Beaming sardonically, she shouted, "Ah, I was wondering where you disappeared to. I can't say I missed you very much, though. You didn't raid the storage closet while I was gone, did you?"

Destiny's heart dropped. She didn't have to look up at the ceiling to know who Aurelia was talking to, and frankly she didn't want to. _Why does this have to happen?_ Destiny begged, taken over by a crushing feeling of defeat. _I was… so close! It's all over now. If that thing attacks again, there's no way I'll make it through._ She despondently let herself crumple to the ground, her limbs splaying out and her torso slamming against the hard tiles.

"Hey, Des? You okay? It's just the Ditto. I already told you that he has no reason to hurt us." Aurelia bent down and began to prod at the other hybrid's shoulder, only to be interrupted by a vicious growl. The lavender blob, who was hanging from the center of the ceiling, stretched its gelatinous body as it began to ooze towards the ground. It hissed sharply as a draconic snout protruded from its face and extended into a serpentine beast with cunning yellow eyes and radiant emerald scales. Releasing a grumbling roar, it gaped as a sphere of cyan light materialized in its cavernous maw.

"Oh, son of a bitch!" the brunette screamed, diving into a nearby room and slamming the door shut. "Of course… I'm such an idiot. The Ditto was what set you on fire—but why in the name of Arceus would he do that? Did you do something to make him mad?"

Destiny could barely hear Aurelia's voice over the noise generated by the Rayquaza's attack. She knew inside that she was to blame for the Ditto's brutal behavior, and she regretted attacking it wholeheartedly. She'd rather suffer through countless nightmares than have to deal with what was about to be thrown at her—as real as they felt, dreams were merely illusions. The hybrid knew well enough that the Ditto's attacks induced real pain.

Her only hope of avoiding the transformed Ditto's attack would be joining Aurelia in the safety of the room, but there was no way she would be able to lug her bulky body there in time. The insect braced herself, preparing to be swamped by another devastating wave of flame. Reaching its limit, the Rayquaza unleashed its mighty attack. The force of the blow rammed her into the floor and swept over her like a wicked gale, but aside from minor soreness, the hybrid was unharmed. _… That was it?_ The Ditto eyed her suspiciously, nearly as stunned as Destiny was.

Aurelia peeked out from the room, examining the scene blankly. "Damn, it didn't vaporize you? Props to you. You look like a Steel-type, so that would explain your resistance to what I can only assume was a Dragon-type move. You should probably think about attacking it before it uses something more effective. Try shooting it with your cannon; it would be a shame to let that thing go to waste." She promptly closed the door again.

_What does she think I am, her Pokémon? _Destiny was mildly offended, but she accepted that Aurelia was a seasoned trainer and knew better than she did. It surprised her to hear valid advice from her rude companion. _She probably just wants me to save her ass, _she concluded_._ The insect was clueless as to how her cannon worked—it was certainly different from simply jabbing at her foes with her claws. The hybrid leaned forward and aimed the barrel at the Rayquaza, silently wishing that something would happen. She locked her focus on the cannon, imagining a powerful laser flying from its mouth and singeing the bloodthirsty Ditto just as she had pictured her telepathy successfully working. Destiny could feel heat gathering beneath her armor, which made excitement burst through her veins. _I think I've got this!_

Destiny let loose the energy seconds before the Rayquaza howled ferociously and charged her—but to her astonishment, the blast escaped from the soles of her feet instead of her cannon. She was forcefully propelled forward, sending her skidding beneath the serpent's belly as sparks leaped into the air._ Great Arceus!_ Destiny cried mentally before she collided with the pair of doors at the far end of the wing. The jets at the bottoms of her feet shorted out as she dazedly recovered from the crash. _What in the world just happened?_ Momentarily distracted from the Ditto, she quickly sat up, lifted one of her legs, and examined her foot. She had never taken notice of the odd circular devices implanted in her soles, which appeared to function similarly to rockets. _Well, that's pretty useful. Why didn't I know about this earlier?_ It struck her that this was most likely the creature's main mode of transportation—although it was challenging to control, it gave her much more momentum than when she used her legs.

The Rayquaza's tail slapped against the wall as it swerved, its long body snaking behind it as it bolted in Destiny's direction. She ineffectively scrabbled at the door's handle, throwing herself into the soft grass when she finally managed to get it open. Charging up another round of energy, she pointed her feet at the building as she prepared for takeoff. The Ditto abruptly smashed through the wall, hurling rubble into the air. Startled, she involuntarily launched herself forward. Twisting and careening to avoid running into trees, the hybrid screeched as she soared through the forest. Scraggly stems whipped her face as her body grinded against the uneven soil. Destiny veered to dodge a large rock, but miscalculated her distance and ran it over. The insect was sent tumbling out of the woods and into a patch of weeds.

Her body aching, Destiny fought to pull herself up. _Good Arceus, I wish this thing had brakes; seems like the only way to stop is to hit something._ She regarded her surroundings, letting out a joyful squeal when she realized she had made it out of the forest. Aurelia was nowhere to be found, but it didn't matter. Civilization, and the prospect of returning to the safety of her home, was only a few strides away. Deciding not to resort to using her jet propulsion devices, the hybrid eagerly stumbled through the field. As she started to near the edge of the patch, she was greeted with a thunderous roar.

Destiny made a choking noise. _He's… still following me? How did he find me? I was sure I lost him!_ The Rayquaza dove at her, sweeping her off the ground in its monstrous talons. The insect struggled and cried as the dragon held her up to its mouth, its hot breath buffeting off of her armor. The transformed Ditto opened its jaws and clamped its fangs around Destiny's head. A creaking crunch sounded as it bit down, driving its teeth into her exoskeleton. The hybrid let herself go limp; she knew this was a battle she wouldn't win. _I tried, _she pitifully told herself as the beast increased its pressure. _At least I tried. _

A gunshot rattled the air.

The Rayquaza made moaned horribly as it plummeted to the earth, letting the petrified Destiny slip from its grasp. The life draining from its body, it reverted to its true form before splattering against the ground. The insect landed on the corpse, her fall partially cushioned by the Ditto's soft body. Too shocked to process what had just happened, she kept still, her red eyes staring up at the night sky.

"Damn monsters still haven't learned their lesson." The voice sounded strikingly familiar, but for a moment Destiny thought nothing of it. As a tall figure began to near her and the slain Ditto, a revelation surfaced in her mind. _… Dad? Dad, is that you?_

He was a stern, heavily built man with scruffy blond hair and a thick beard. Dressed in a sweat-stained white t-shirt and a pair of jeans, he had a shotgun in his hands. Seeing him wield the weapon so freely made Destiny uncomfortable; hunting was a hobby of her father's, but it was unlike him to do it so close to the city. As far as she knew, no one was authorized to hunt there. Couldn't he get arrested for firing a gun in such a metropolitan area? He bent down, sticking his finger into the gelatinous remains and swirling it pensively. "Huh, never seen this happen before."

_Dad! _Destiny exclaimed silently, her grin reflecting her feelings for once. _Dad killed the Ditto! He saved me!_ Disoriented, she stood up and toddled over to him, her arms stretched wide.

The man lifted his gaze and knit his brows. "Good Arceus, another one? Don't know how I didn't see it. They just keep coming, don't they?" Destiny's heart skipped a beat when her father pointed the gun at her forehead. _Dad, what are you doing? Dad, no! It's me, Destiny!_ It took her that long to remember that there was no way he would be able to recognize her—and now that it had occurred to her, there was no way for her to tell him that his daughter was beneath the insect's metal armor. She had a suspicion that he wouldn't wait for her to scribble a message in the dirt. After all she had been through, was she really going to die at the hands of her own father? It would take too much time to fire up her jets; she had no choice but to watch as the man prepared to pull back the trigger.

Pounding footsteps and a frantic yell broke the tension. "Put that down! Don't shoot! That's my Pokémon!" Panting, Aurelia flung herself onto the scene. _How in the world… why would she do this? I thought she hated me!_ First Aurelia had tended to her wounds, and now she had saved her life. What had caused her to change her attitude?

Alarmed, Destiny's father lowered the shotgun as the girl hurried over to his daughter. "Is it? Uh, I apologize, miss. There've been so many monsters showing up in the outskirts of the city… hard to tell 'em apart from regular Pokémon sometimes, and I don't want to take any chances." He gave the two of them a closer look. "Never seen a Pokémon like that before… and you don't look much like a trainer to me. What were you doing in the forest? Didn't you see that dragon? You sure you're telling the truth? Those monsters are real tricksters… can't trust anyone with 'em around."

"Whoa now, what's this about monsters?" Aurelia had a genuine look of bewilderment on her face, which reminded the insect of when she had tricked Lynn into letting her attack her Galvantula. It was sometimes difficult for Destiny to tell when she was acting and when she was being sincere, which made it even harder for her to believe the farfetched tale about her family. "I didn't see anything. I was doing some training, that's all. My Pokémon is a rare species that only lives in the Kanto region, which is why you've never seen anything like her before. She's not very smart, and she decided to wander away from me when I was trying to catch a Pidove. I had to drop my bag and run after her when I noticed she was gone." Laughing nervously, she glanced at the hybrid. "Ha, that was a close one, wasn't it?"

Ignoring the subtle insult, Destiny played along by replying, "_Wrraaaggh_." If only Aurelia would make the connection between her and her father! She admitted that they only had a few physical traits in common—the mild-looking Destiny barely resembled her gruff and burly father. She remembered telling Aurelia that she lived in Mistralton, but that meant absolutely nothing. Although it wasn't an enormous city, its population was far from miniscule. This man could have been anyone.

"Monsters…" Destiny's father mumbled with little emotion, "… don't know why they're here and what they want from us, but they keep crawling out of the woods and showing up here in Mistralton. Far as I know, there ain't any Zoroark dens 'round here… must be some kind of shapeshifting forest demon. They disguise themselves as human children, and once you let your guard down, they change into Legendary Pokémon. Seen at least five of the things today, and I shot down all of 'em. Things are dangerous… they stole my little girl; probably skinned her alive and gobbled her up. That's why I've made it my personal mission to kill every last one of 'em. Gotta avenge my daughter… gotta keep my city safe."

"_Wrrrllggh_!" Destiny yowled, unable to restrain herself. _I'm okay, Dad! I'm right here! _It filled her with horror to discover that her own father had slaughtered several of her kind, all over her disappearance. He almost murdered _her_ for the same reason. Finding out that he was claiming innocent lives and risking getting in trouble with the law pierced the hybrid's heart like a bullet. Her father wasn't a criminal! Knowing that there was nothing she could do to intervene hit her even harder. She wanted to bury her face in the grass and weep, but she couldn't bring herself to do even that. Destiny prayed that the other hybrid would put the pieces together.

"Guess that means this nut isn't working with Team Plasma. Maybe I can talk some sense into him," Aurelia muttered under her breath, shaking her head solemnly. _Bad move, bad move! Don't do it!_ Destiny screamed in her head. Her father was a notoriously stubborn individual who rarely let others shape his opinions. Raising her voice, the Arceus hybrid argued, "I have no clue what you're talking about, but have you actually seen the hy—_monsters_ doing any of that stuff, or are you just making assumptions? You can't just go around killing things because they're strange and different."

The man narrowed his eyes, a scowl forming on his face. "Say no more. I ain't stupid. I know you ain't who you say you are. Nothin' but a couple of monsters, that's what you really are." He threateningly held up his shotgun and got ready to shoot, but then hesitated guiltily. "If you value your lives, get the hell out of my city and don't even think about showing your faces here again. If I ever see you two in Mistralton, I'll make sure both of you suffer. Get out before I change my mind and shoot you now."

"Will do, sir," Aurelia said calmly, disguising any sign of fear. She had learned better than to fight with a man bearing a gun. Glaring at Destiny, she wordlessly grabbed her arm and pulled in the direction of the forest, but the insect didn't move an inch. Overcome by weakness, her legs buckled. Hearing such threatening words coming from her father's mouth was too much to bear. Why did he choose to spare them? She wished she could wrap her arms around him and cry, but at the same time she wanted to get as far away from him as possible. Not being able to say or do anything was maddening.

"What the hell's the matter with you? Do you want to be killed?" Aurelia hissed, tugging harder. The man drummed his fingers against the shotgun, growing impatient. Too devastated to resist anymore, Destiny submitted and stumbled after the rash girl. Staggering sideways, she kept her eyes on her father, who scornfully observed them for a few moments before turning his back to them and walking away. The hybrid whimpered sorrowfully as he disappeared from sight.

[Author's note: _Yes, I am aware that Genesect does not have jet propulsion devices on its feet. This story has been in the works long before any information about the Pokémon was released, so I had to do a bit of improvising. While I changed some details to follow canon more accurately, there were some things that I had to keep the same._]


	36. Trial and Error

A full night's sleep did nothing to alleviate Ben's quandaries. When he woke, he was still plagued by feelings of lethargy and bloating. His figure, which had once been notably scrawny, was now spoiled by a grossly swollen abdomen—Ben thought it looked like he was in the process of digesting a partially deflated basketball. The skin covering his bulging gut was stretched taut, concealing a stomach that felt compacted and surprisingly rock-solid. It churned and gurgled raucously, seemingly complaining about amount of food its owner had stuffed it with.

It was painful to look at; to accept that he had done this to himself. If only he had gotten off his high horse and listened to Kelvin's advice, no matter how vague it was. He had always been brashly headstrong and haughty, but his rebellious attitude had never once landed him in a situation as troubling as this. Perhaps he did have something to gain from Kelvin's so-called "lesson", even if he refused to confess that he was wrong.

When the scientist, who was leisurely reclining in the wooden chair, noticed that the boy was awake, he remarked, "Good morning. You changed twice overnight, and you slept through both transformations like a baby. It was quite the spectacle."

Ben scowled, disgruntled about the thought of the older man watching him in his sleep. That was just one of the many reasons he disliked Kelvin, even though the two of them had more in common than either would've liked to admit. Though their theological beliefs differed considerably, they shared a fondness for knowledge and science, particularly the field of biology. The two of them were intelligent people, but their deep investment in certain problems left them unmindful to others. They were also both fervidly arrogant, although Kelvin was at least modest enough to point out his flaws. Having to deal with an older, wiser version of himself greatly upset Ben; no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't win if this man had anything to do with it.

"I want to know more about the formula," the Zekrom hybrid announced boldly. Until N returned, there was nothing for him to do—he might as well take the time to learn about the project that had started this mess, if Kelvin was willing to oblige. He couldn't help but be fascinated by the scientist's work; from what he understood, nothing like this should have been remotely possible. How could someone alter the entire genetic makeup of an organism composed of trillions of cells by injecting it with a diminutive amount of fluid?

"Why?" Kelvin retorted apathetically. "I already told you everything you need to know. The rest is all technical and it would go over your head. I don't even want to burden myself with thinking about that abominable concoction anymore."

"You were awfully skimpy with the details. Yeah, I get the part about having a gene from a fake Zekrom, but how did you do it? Do you expect me to be satisfied with only knowing that you squirted a vial full of Ditto DNA into my blood and I suddenly gained the ability to morph into a Legendary Pokémon? Frankly, I find that hard to believe. What do you take me for, an idiot? Simplify it if you must, but I require some more thorough clarification," Ben demanded.

"I must say, kid, I do admire your hunger for knowledge. Certainly more favorable than your voracious appetite for sustenance, wouldn't you agree? But too much ambition, if it is not properly controlled, can also be a dangerous thing. How do you think I wound up like this?" The red-haired man shook his head gravely. "I suppose I should be grateful for your company, even if you're an obnoxious little asshole. Arceus knows the next time I'll have someone to talk to, and a person slightly more intelligent than a Pidove at that. You know what Pokérus is, correct? Oh, forgive me, of course you do."

"It's a rare virus that benefits both itself and its host," Ben replied matter-of-factly, not quite sure what Kelvin was getting at. "Pokémon infected with Pokérus are known to grow at a faster rate."

"Yes, good," Kelvin mumbled, giving a halfhearted nod of approval. "Though they are often referred to as microorganisms, being viruses, they are not technically living things. But like all viruses, they contain genetic instructions. Viral DNA is no different from the DNA of living organisms in some respects—for one, it can still be manipulated. Viruses reproduce by altering DNA found in the cells of living tissue, meaning that if they were engineered in a certain way, they could potentially replace a creature's genes with those of another organism. That is precisely what my team tried to accomplish with the GMP156 project. Purchasing an ample amount of preserved Pokérus specimens from various laboratories was a costly investment, but in the end it allowed us to further our project more than any of us thought was possible.

"As you may recall, I did not work with Ditto from the start. My colleagues and I originally went after the genes controlling the process of stimuli-based evolution in Pokémon. Using a Minccino, which evolves into Cinccino when exposed to radiation from a Shiny Stone, we were able to isolate these genes. We then altered the instructions that cause Minccino to evolve into Cinccino by removing the latter's genetic information and implanting that of our entomological mash-up in its place. Once we had nested these modified instructions in the DNA of the Pokérus, we put a small population of the viruses in a solution containing a powdered sample of a Shiny Stone—this would trigger an immediate response from the host organism. As viruses lack the enzymes needed to act upon these instructions, they were unaffected.

"We eventually discovered that there were numerous flaws with this approach. As it would turn out, the messages emitted by this strain of Pokérus corresponded only with the receptors in bone cells. This is why my love's skeleton was the only part of her affected by the formula, other than the exoskeleton the Pokérus also managed to synthesize over her body. Secondly, evolution is a onetime process—once a Pokémon has evolved, there is no way for it to return to its previous shape. Because of this, my love has been permanently trapped in the shape of that wretched insect. Though it was able to produce some results, our initial concoction, which I have dubbed the Type I Formula, was riddled with failure."

"So that's why you thought of using Ditto," the hybrid commented, enthralled by Kelvin's explanation. "Not too shabby."

"Indeed," the scientist responded. "Using genetic information from Ditto solved not one but three of the problems my team initially encountered. The gene controlling Ditto's ability to change its cellular structure formed the foundation of the induced transformation, allowing infected individuals to return to their original shapes. Furthermore, this same gene enabled me to create a strain of Pokérus capable of changing the type of messages it secretes to match the receptors of any bodily cell in the same fashion Ditto can morph into what it sees. The abilities my special Ditto possessed gave me access to the improvised DNA of any creature I could imagine. As disappointing as it was that they could not perfectly replicate the extent of a Legendary Pokémon's power for my Type II Formula, obtaining authentic Legendary DNA would be nigh impossible. I did have an opportunity to work with the DNA of a particular Legendary Pokémon, but I blew it. That was before I developed the Type II Formula… if only I had waited a little longer."

Something was bugging Ben. "If a virus is what causes me to transform, is it contagious? I've come in contact with several people since the first time I changed. Are they going to end up as hybrids, too?" He would have been lying if he said he disapproved of the prospect of spreading his miserable fate onto Dragon and Ghetsis.

"This strain of Pokérus only spreads through bodily fluids," Kelvin explained. "As long as you've abstained from intercourse or becoming blood brothers with anybody, you're good as gold."

"So what you're saying," Ben snorted, "is that this hybrid thing is an STD."

Kelvin closed his eyes in scorn. "To put it crudely, yes, it is."

The boy let out an uneasy laugh. "You're telling me that if I get laid, the chick will be stuck turning into Zekrom, too?"

Kelvin gave Ben a quick glance, and then smiled impishly. "You shouldn't have to worry about that ever happening," he affirmed.

"Wow, man, that was harsh." Ben narrowed his eyes, affronted. He didn't think the scientist was particularly good-looking himself: was that why he was so desperate to avenge the one woman crazy enough to fall for him? _Dude, she's a giant bug. Maybe you should just let her go._ "I don't suppose there's a cure for this virus, is there?" He had never considered the possibility of being able to receive treatment for his condition; this brought new hope to the hybrid.

The red-haired man shrugged. "Beats me. Pokérus is generally welcomed in its hosts, so no one has ever bothered to waste time producing a cure. I did contemplate developing an antidote, but Ghetsis's band of fools captured me before I had the opportunity to get anything started. Since Pokérus operates in a way that causes it to terminate after a certain number of days while its positive effects remain permanent, treatment would have to be administered prior to when this has a chance to happen. Even if this were to have failed, I may have been able to devise a method of reversing its effects if I were given a sufficient amount of time. Alas, I don't have access to my laboratory in this hellhole."

Ben had a dumbstruck expression on his face. "Then… why didn't you work on creating a cure for your girlfriend instead of dragging me into your stupid little scheme?"

"Did I not make it clear what Team Plasma did to her?" Kelvin snapped. "They went beyond simply injecting her with the formula. They grafted an artificial metal exoskeleton onto her body. They tore out her vocal cords. They surgically removed her limbs and reattached them in different positions. They shut down several of her vital organs. That detestable suit of armor and cannon are the only things keeping her alive; even if I were restore her human body, she'd never be the same. The tortured existence they've forced her to lead can never be fixed."

"Then how about you bust the hell out of here and get to work on the antidote for the Type II Formula?" the Zekrom hybrid suggested crossly. "You kept saying that you were "so, so sorry" and that you would undo all of this if you could, so what's holding you back? You're not under surveillance. No one even knows you're down here except for Ghetsis's buddies and me. If you broke out, nobody would notice."

The scientist raised his hand to his face. "Kid, you don't understand. I'm wanted by the police; I'm the prime suspect in a homicide, and for a good reason. I'm a murderer. Remember when I told you that I blew my chances at using the genes of actual Legendary Pokémon? It's because I killed the researcher who lent me the DNA. She willingly volunteered for the experiment, and it failed."

"I guess that's a problem," said Ben casually. He knit his brows. "But wait a second. You told me that Team Plasma's experiments claimed a bunch of lives. If you're wanted for killing one volunteer, why the hell hasn't that organization been shut down for all the deaths it's caused?"

"See, this is where my obliviousness comes in. The volunteers my team worked with when I was part of Team Plasma were forced to sign dozens of consent forms. These guaranteed that the subjects we experimented on wouldn't have anyone looking for them if they suddenly vanished one day. If someone were to acknowledge their disappearances, we were given permission to rule their deaths as either accidents or suicide. The researcher I tested the formula on… she had a husband and a young daughter, and she was a member of a small team of marine biologists in the Whirl Islands of Johto. She never told her family and colleagues that her vacation to the Unova region might end up being a one-way trip, and I'm to blame for that. I promised her that I had perfected the formula. Like I told you, pride is the deadliest of sins.

"Dr. Kinsey fell in love with the Legendary Lugia when she was a little girl, and she went on to devote her entire life to researching it; that's what she told me. She was quite the chatty woman; she practically told me her entire life story over the course of our discussions. I can understand her infatuation with the sea beast—it is a very impressive, majestic creature. She said she cried tears of joy the day she saw Lugia breach. Being able to collect a sample of the Pokémon's genetic information was her proudest accomplishment, and when I told her I could possibly give her the unique opportunity to see out of Lugia's eyes, she was more than willing to share her prized DNA with me.

"That was a decidedly daring move; though her detailed reports on Lugia had gained some notability in the scientific community, she did not hold a lot of seniority in her workplace. Most of the other scientists scoffed at her and thought she was an oddball. While her team was interested in researching Lugia, their principal tasks involved more reasonable matters: keeping a census of the native Chinchou population, tagging and tracking Mantine, and searching for marine life that hadn't previously been documented in that area. To see Lugia breach was a chance encounter and the senior staff were convinced that none of them would witness such a thing again. Kinsey, who was only an intern at the time, had more faith. To the chagrin of her colleagues, she made it her personal mission to study Lugia. If it weren't for my offer, she may have never had another opportunity to learn about the beast. She agreed to participate in my experiment without question."

"I'm inclined to agree with her scientist pals," Ben mumbled when the man appeared to have finished speaking. "Treating her family like they're second-rate so she could pursue her obsession? That's gotta be unhealthy. What a lunatic." Could she have been in the same position as he was? Perhaps she too had come to the conclusion that her own happiness was the only thing that mattered in the end. What made them so different?

"Were you even listening?" Kelvin growled with a hint of belligerence. "I lied to her: I persuaded her that the formula would work without a doubt. She believed that she would be able to return home with the ability to change into Lugia as she pleased. To be fair, I had myself convinced that it would be successful as well. I didn't even consider failure, and it was wrong of me to assume that. When I was forced to listen to her tormented screams; when I watched as her skeleton ripped through her body while knowing there was nothing I could do to save her—that was when I realized I was terribly mistaken."

"All right, but something still smells fishy," the hybrid contended adamantly. "If police are investigating the Lugia aficionado's death, then why are they neglecting to look for suspects in your girlfriend's disappearance? Judging by what you said, she didn't sign any of that paperwork. She was dragged into it against her will, no?"

"That is correct," Kelvin confirmed. "She has no family to speak of, or at least none that she's told me about. She worked as a secretary for Ghetsis's branch of Team Plasma, meaning that all of her coworkers were in on it. Though she was otherwise unfit for the experiment, I suppose those qualities outweighed the negatives. The only person who would think of filing a report to the police was me, and my colleagues knew me well enough to safely presume that I wouldn't. If I were to inform the police about Team Plasma's experiments, I would be apprehended alongside my coworkers. As much as it hurts to admit, I am equally, if not more, responsible for the fate of my love and the deaths of all our volunteers. Incidentally, I did not think being thrown in jail would be an adequate method of exacting revenge.

"That brings me back to your ponderings about why I've refrained from trying to escape from this cell. Since I am the only one who holds the key to unlocking the secrets of the Type II Formula's success, Ghetsis has no choice but to keep me alive until he can get the information out of me. Is that ever going to happen? Goodness no, not if I can help it."

"And assembling an army of pubescent freaks was a better strategy? You've certainly got a convoluted set of values. Man, get your priorities straight," Ben barked derisively. "You owe us hybrids big time. What makes you think you deserve to stay in the safety of this dungeon? Don't give me the "I'm paying the price for my sins" bull—you clearly think of this place as a refuge. If you were truly sorry about what you did, you'd pay no heed to what would become of you if you became a fugitive. If you truly wanted to seek redemption and mend your mistakes, you'd get out there and work on putting together an antidote. You're perfectly capable of fixing what you did—you just don't want to."

Though Ben failed to realize it, the heartbroken scientist's ethics mirrored his own in nearly every respect. His overpowering yearning to survive was the basis behind his reasoning to side with N; he had chosen to save himself and bring about suffering over sacrificing his life for the good of the Unova region. In the grand scheme of things, he thought, the only life that mattered was his own. Because he'd have no way to see from the perspectives of the people affected or witness the toll of his actions firsthand, the injustice of what he planned to do to prolong his existence was unimportant to him. Similarly, Kelvin thought little of the lives he had destroyed for the sake of avenging his girlfriend and keeping himself alive. The geneticist claimed to feel remorse toward the young adults he had dragged into his plot, but Ben knew his words were insincere. Kelvin's attempt to acknowledge the wrongfulness of his crimes was nothing but false reassurance.

Agitated, Kelvin rose from his seat. "All of this… was my intention," he disclosed boldly. Stress had turned his face a searing shade of red, and sweat clung to his brow. He froze as if he regretted speaking up, but after several moments he resumed. "Did you really think I turned fifty kids into monsters to send them to war against Team Plasma? Even a fool would know that's absolutely absurd! There is no logic in the notion of convincing a band of rebellious teenagers to fight an organization they had nothing to do with. It was all a cover-up; a trick I knew Team Plasma would fall for. They thought I'd be too consumed by my own ego to do anything about the torture my love was put through! They underestimated my ingenuity! Oh, no, I didn't want to physically annihilate those bastards; I wanted to tear them apart from the inside out.

"I sold my soul to singlehandedly produce the formula Team Plasma had so badly craved for years. To use this formula to destroy the lives of so many hopeful young people—it was all a pompous exhibition to make Team Plasma regret wronging the love of the man who had advanced their outlandish schemes by leaps and bounds! If they had kept me on their side, I could have done so much for them! If they thought you hybrids were a threat to their precious organization, they'd be forced to obliterate the creations that never seemed to be in reach. All of you hybrids were supposed to die! It'd be the icing on the cake—if Team Plasma got involved in the slaughtering of innocent children, their approval ratings would inescapably plummet, especially if their foolhardy figurehead had anything to do with it. If that N kid turned on Ghetsis and his friends, Team Plasma would collapse absolutely. You hybrids weren't supposed to be my soldiers—you're my weapon!

"What made it all even better was the fact that I knew they'd be obligated to keep me alive. Ghetsis is a persistent demon of a man—he wouldn't be above sheltering the force set out to crush his organization if he thought he could get what he wanted out of it. Bribes, threats, restraints—I'll endure it all to avoid facing the death penalty or a life sentence in prison. Conditions in this cell are abysmal, but this place is a haven compared to the punishment I deserve. Ghetsis won't kill me until he finds out how to produce the Type II Formula, and I'm the only person who possesses that knowledge. I planted outdated instructions, a vial of the formula that killed Dr. Kinsey, and a defective Ditto in the location I hid you hybrids to instill false hope in Ghetsis and his cronies. That place wasn't my top-secret laboratory; I actually wanted to draw Team Plasma to it. My love is the only one who would know where I kept the real plans, and why in the name of Arceus would she give Ghetsis that information? Even if he thought of a way to get it out of her, he'd find that his decision to cut apart her vocal cords was ultimately counterproductive. Everything has flawlessly fallen into place—Ghetsis may think he's pulling Team Plasma's strings, but the true puppet master is none other than yours truly."

Vehement resentment burned in Ben's mind, but in spite of this he addressed the narcissistic man with a cool and collected tone. "Why, how kind of you to tell all of this to someone who can turn into a Legendary Pokémon." He balled his fist threateningly. "I might not be able to do anything now, but do you really think I'll show you any mercy when I get Zekrom's strength back? Gee, for someone who came up with such an intricate plan to keep himself alive, how did you not realize that this would backfire on you? Hey, man, you're right—having a big ego can be deadly."

Kelvin strode over to the immobilized boy and kneeled by his side. "Do you not realize," he hissed, "that if you were to kill me, you'd be no better off than I was. Ghetsis wants me alive. If he found out that you murdered me, he'd be sure to make your death as painful as possible. I know what you want, kid. You're just like me. You don't want to die. N has so graciously promised to spare your sniveling existence, and you're going to let that go to waste? Also, kid, you may be able to turn into Zekrom, but the key factor is that you're not a Zekrom right now." The man stood up and placed his foot on Ben's distended abdomen. The boy wailed and grew queasy as he gradually pressed down, squashing the contents of his bloated stomach. He gagged and turned his head as a mass of bloody vomit was forced out of his body. "It looks as if your rash decision to gorge yourself has worked to my advantage as well. You're too full to move, making your defenseless human body even more vulnerable than it already was. If you truly plan on letting your threats become anything more than empty words, I won't hesitate to make sure that never happens. I've already bloodied my hands; what's one more victim? Ghetsis will let me get away with it. Now, kid, do you still think killing me would be a good idea?"

Ben hysterically wheezed, "No, no, get off of me!" The scientist obediently eased his pressure, and once the hybrid was free, he snarled, "I may not be a religious person, but I'd gladly start believing in Hell if it meant you would go there. You… you're a monster."

Kelvin laughed, returning to his chair as if nothing had happened. "Oh, Hell is real all right, and I'm doomed to spend all eternity there. That's why I want to draw out and make the best of the precious time I have left. If people get in my way, why should I bother feeling repentance if I have to tear them down? It's a waste of time. You and I… I think we can both agree on that."

**[Author's note: **_**Please excuse my glaring butchering of scientific logic; inaccurate as it may be, I didn't just want to say, "A wizard did it!" When you're working with a franchise that includes a creature that can completely reconstitute its cellular structure and a technologically enhanced prehistoric insect, you've just gotta let some things slide…**_**]**


	37. In Plane Sight

"Seriously, what the hell were you thinking? Were you not listening when I went over why it'd be a bad idea to go to Mistralton City?" Aurelia, who was still clutching Destiny's arm tightly, turned and glowered at the insect as they sprinted through the overgrowth.

Destiny's breath came out in heavy gasps. The wall of incisors guarding her sealed mouth made breathing a battle, as most of the air she tried to expel from her lungs rebounded off of her teeth. If this creature couldn't open its mouth to eat, what was the point in even having one? Aurelia functioned fine without a mouth in her Arceus form from what Destiny could tell. It was yet another addition to her growing list of things that made no sense about the Pokémon she was fused with; it was becoming more and more evident that something was terribly wrong with the insect. A creature so ungainly and awkward couldn't possibly bear the title of "Legendary", could it?

_It's not like I chose to go there! _Destiny protested in her head, even though it had been her intention all along. While her accidental discovery of the jets in the soles of her feet provided her with a new mode of transportation, she was clueless about how to control them. She had a suspicion that she had been using them improperly during her flight from the abandoned building; although her metal exoskeleton gave her some protection, sliding across the ground on her belly like a penguin with a jetpack was not very comfortable. Then again, she wouldn't have been surprised if this was indeed the way the devices were supposed to be harnessed; everything else about the insect confused her, so why should she expect this to be any different?

The hybrid still hadn't recovered from her encounter with her vengeful father. Though it had all been a misunderstanding, his harsh words painfully drove in the idea that Destiny was no longer welcome in the city she had lived in her entire life. It stung to think that even her family, who had always been there to support her, had turned their backs on her. She was truly an outcast; a monster forced to hide itself from humanity. If she wasn't allowed to step foot in Mistralton City, was there any place she could truly call home? _The person who did this to me… did he ever love somebody?_ Destiny wondered dolefully. _What would he think if this happened to someone he cared about?_

It seemed as if Aurelia, who had supposedly lost her entire family, was better prepared for this disaster in more ways than one. _She has no one to stay up all night worrying about her. No one will fear that she's been killed, because they're all dead or gone themselves. It must be nice to know you're not hurting anyone,_ Destiny thought, paying no heed to the anguish Aurelia undoubtedly had to live with. She also envied her ability to move on from episodes that would normally traumatize anyone else so easily; Destiny was still in shock over Colby's death, and she had barely even accepted the fact that she had turned into a Pokémon. It felt as if she was paddling through an endless torrent of tragedies, calamitous waves threatening to pull her under with each stroke she took.

She was puzzled by why the other hybrid had gone to such great lengths to rescue her not once but twice. Wouldn't she be better off without her? Everything Aurelia had done to advance her group was promptly countered by Destiny, who set them back farther and farther each time. True to her species, she was nothing more than a bothersome pest. Aurelia had shown little concern when Colby, a vital member of the group, was found dead; what did she see in Destiny that made her worth saving? The hybrid wanted to ask her, but she'd have to hold her question until she returned to her human shape.

"We're going back to the building," Aurelia firmly proclaimed. "As crazy as he was, that madman did us a huge favor by putting a bullet in the Ditto's chest. Now that the thing's dead, we have no reason to stay outside."

"_Wrrooggh!_" the insect howled fiercely, pulling away from Aurelia like an unruly dog on a leash. _No, we can't go back there!_ It was a reckless act of avoidance; the building was stocked with a plentiful supply of food that they'd have no other means of obtaining, but Destiny couldn't fathom returning to the place where so many harrowing events had occurred. There was something intensely distressing about the thought of spending her nights in the presence of Colby's disfigured corpse. Even though the Ditto had been slain, she knew she wouldn't be able to evade facing more horrific nightmares.

"Cut it out!" the Arceus hybrid reprimanded sharply. "Why are you being so stubborn? It'd be suicide to go back to the city! What, were you zoning out when that maniac pointed a gun at your head? We've got enough food to last us months in the building, especially now that we won't have to share with the Ditto."

It bothered Destiny that she was using such boorish terms to refer to her father, even though she knew there was no way she'd be able to tell they were related. _Okay, so he's a little overprotective. He's just doing what he thinks is necessary._ Breaking away from Aurelia's grasp, Destiny frenziedly waved her arms and shook her head. _It's no use,_ she concluded dejectedly. _Even if I could talk, there's no way she would listen to me. Why doesn't she understand? Doesn't she feel the slightest bit unsafe in that place?_ It was impossible for her to associate it with anything but fear; she had felt ill at ease about the building since the moment she woke up. Its deceptively light and open ambiance only made it all the more unnerving; it appeared almost too inconspicuous, which made a primal instinct in the back of her conscience caution her that something was off. Did Aurelia experience any of this fear, or had she been conditioned to see past it?

"What's your problem?" growled Aurelia. "If you insist on staying away from the building, I don't suppose you have a better idea, do you? No, of course you don't. That's our only option." She irritably grabbed Destiny's arm again. "Now, let's get moving."

_A better idea… there has to be a better solution!_ The insect continued to resist as she searched her brain for answers. _Mistralton City is in the middle of a valley; that's why I've hardly ever been out of town. Travelling by foot is reserved for only the bravest of trainers, and the airport charges far too much for anyone to be a frequent flyer._ She froze. _If we could find a way to sneak aboard a plane, we'd get an all expense paid trip to safety! If Dad and Team Plasma are hunting for us hybrids in this area, anywhere would be better than here. How in the world are we supposed to go about doing that, though? With Dad on the prowl, there's no way we'd be able to get into the city. If we did manage to get past him, catching a plane would be just as much of a challenge._

Mistralton City was unique in that it housed the only airport in the Unova region. As most people relied on winged Pokémon for aerial transportation, the majority of the planes served to ship cargo from place to place. Passenger flights were available to those who didn't own Pokémon, but as Destiny understood, they were far from inexpensive. A bubbly, airheaded young woman who also happened to hold the title of Gym Leader had recently inherited ownership of the airport from her father—as she oversaw two of the city's economic focal points, many considered her to be the unofficial head of Mistralton. Skyla, who had presumably been named for her father's love of the heavens, was often criticized for her naïve behavior and general incompetence.

Destiny knew her plan was full of holes, but her yearning to leave the wretched place was overpowering. It was as if her moody acquaintance's attitude had rubbed off on her: she wanted nothing more than to put the past behind her and move onto someplace new. _How do I make Aurelia change her mind? Better yet, how can I bring this up to her in the first place?_ The two hybrids were outside, but it was far too dark for Destiny to be able to scribe sentences in the earth. _I guess I've gotta go the charades route, _the insect decided glumly. _I have a feeling this won't work very well._

Destiny abruptly stopped moving, which caught Aurelia by her surprise. The metal creature reached out and gently tapped the girl on the shoulder with the side of her claw to make sure she had her attention.

"What?" Aurelia grumbled in annoyance. "What do you want?"

The other hybrid let out a wry breath. _This is going to be embarrassing. _She held her arm out in front of her and pushed it forward, trying her best to mimic the sound of an airplane hurtling down a runway in her garbled voice. She angled her claw toward the sky and gradually lifted it into the air, keeping a hopeful eye on Aurelia. When she figured she had made her point, she dropped her arm and expectantly turned her gaze to the Arceus hybrid.

The girl blinked. "Yeah, okay, that's nice. Can we just get going already? I don't know about you, but getting shot by a trigger-happy lunatic isn't very high on my list of ways I'd like to die."

_Come on, how much more obvious do I have to be? I might as well have been carrying a sign that says __**HEY DUMBASS, MAYBE WE SHOULD TRY GOING TO THE AIRPORT**__ in flashing neon lights._ Her escalating stress levels paired with Aurelia's refusal to interpret her attempts at communication did away with Destiny's normally mild temperament. Aggravated, she raised her voice. "_Wrraaarrgghoorrr,_" she crooned contemptuously, repeating her awkward plane gestures.

"Listen, I don't know what you're trying to tell me. Can it wait until after you turn back to normal? Yes? Good, now let's move." Aurelia tugged on the arm Destiny was using to represent an airplane, knocking it out of the make-believe sky.

_I don't think she's even trying to make sense of what I'm saying,_ the insect realized crossly. _All she cares about is getting back to the damn building. Well, you know what? If she refuses to listen to me, I'll do something to make sure she'll pay attention. _She bent her knees, letting heat gather in the soles of her feet. She had never tried activating her jets in an upright position, but in her rage Destiny thought nothing about the potential consequences. She unleashed the stored energy, and her stomach flopped as she was forcefully blasted skyward. The hybrid squealed in terror, uncoordinatedly veering left and right as she wildly flailed her limbs. She frantically scrambled to unfold herself after her bulky upper body was violently shoved forward.

_Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop! _Destiny's hysterical words were buried beneath the insect's shrill cries. Aurelia's scornful voice rang out below the airborne hybrid, but the roar of the jets blocked out the sound. _What do I do?_ The insect tilted to the side as she held up her leg, trying in vain to get a look at it with her permanently unfocused eyes. _If I cut off the flow of energy, I'll fall and crash into the ground! But if I don't do it myself, it'll short out on its own when I'm even higher up! Is there a way to gradually lower the power?_ Destiny experimentally attempted to slacken one of her jets, only for it to shut off completely. Struck by a sudden loss of balance, she was thrown sideways. _Oh, Arceus, this wasn't supposed to happen!_ In the chaos, the functioning jet was thrust into the sky and she was sent plummeting toward the earth face-first.

_Arceus… dear Arceus…! _The insect deactivated the second device in her panic, but it hardly affected the speed of her drop. Adrenaline pumped through her body as she was overcome by the sensation of freefall. Unable to close her bulging eyes, she was forced to watch as the forest floor drew closer and closer. Destiny could already imagine the sickening crunch of her nonexistent neck vertebrae snapping when she collided with the ground, and was haunted by the image of her oversized head unnaturally reeling backwards as Aurelia went to investigate her broken corpse. The visions overwhelmed her senses, distracting her from the realness of the impending danger. Time seemed to lag as she instinctively tightened her muscles, bracing herself for the impact. Warmth spread across her back, accumulating between her shoulder disks. Destiny loosened her tenseness as a globule of fiery white light flew from the lips of her cannon, the force of the blow momentarily catching her fall. Before she had the chance to take in what had happened, she hit the ground.

The insect groaned as she dazedly raised her head, spells of darkness clouding her eyesight. She coughed out grains of dirt that had squeezed between her teeth. More pain enveloped her already aching body, but only one thing mattered: she was alive. _How in the world did I survive?_ Destiny wondered incredulously, checking to see if the other hybrid shared her surprise.

Aurelia, who had taken shelter behind a tree, stepped out apprehensively when she saw that Destiny had landed. "Good going, genius. Not only did you nearly kill the both of us, but you probably also alerted everyone in the Unova region where we are."

_That wouldn't be a problem if we got on a damn airplane. Why can't you put the pieces together? _The insect huffed crossly. The last thing she had left to try was travelling to the airport on foot and forcing Aurelia to follow—the only problem was that she didn't know where she was in relation to the airport. _We're just north of Mistralton, _she affirmed. _The airport is on the west side of the city, so if I keep relatively close to the edge of the forest and hike to my right, I'll get there eventually. What can Aurelia do to stop me? It's not like she'd be able to pick me up and carry me._ Propping herself up on her hands and knees, she turned and fiercely started to crawl toward her destination. _This is probably just as efficient as walking on two legs._

"Hey, get back here!" the Arceus hybrid snapped, grabbing the back of Destiny's cannon. The metal creature bucked and shook her shoulders, continuing to move onward until she was met with a faint clicking noise. Her racing heartbeat instantaneously stopped dead and her throat closed up. She toppled over as her consciousness was torn away and the world went black.

Aurelia stepped aside, staring in befuddlement at the yellow cassette in her hand. "Pretty sure that wasn't supposed to happened," she murmured absentmindedly as she approached the dead insect. Giving the side of Destiny's abdomen a disdainful kick, she ordered, "Stop moping and get up." When she didn't react, she lobbed the drive at her face. "You're such an idiot. I'll leave you here if I have to. If the freak with the gun shows up, you'll just have to fend for yourself." It was strange enough for the compliant hybrid to rebel against her commands, but the fact that someone as skittish as her didn't even acknowledge Aurelia's threats made it evident that something wasn't right.

Mildly concerned, Aurelia ducked down and reached for one of Destiny's arms. To her revulsion, the appendage felt abnormally heavy and limp. "That can't be a good sign," she mumbled as she let it drop to the ground. The insect's stiff metal exoskeleton made it impossible to check for a pulse or monitor her respiration, but the Arceus hybrid was able to infer that the systems had shut down. "Wonderful," she hissed resentfully, "she's dead. I should've seen this coming."

What had killed the hybrid? Aurelia hypothesized that internal damage from the impact was a likely cause, but considering that she managed to temporarily catch herself in midair, she hadn't technically dropped as great of a distance as it appeared. Additionally, it would make no sense for her to have suddenly keeled over if that were the case. Destiny hadn't shown a hint of pain or suffering during the moments that followed her fall, and Aurelia suspected that her death would have been much more drawn out if it were truly the result of physical trauma. The Arceus hybrid decided that there probably wasn't an actual explanation. Did fate really need logic to justify its punishments?

Wearing a stoic expression, Aurelia picked up the piece of plastic she had dislodged from Destiny's cannon. The object had popped out after she mistakenly slapped a big black button behind the barrel of her cannon. Aurelia admitted she was curious as to what the button did, but to her disappointment it didn't appear to have a noteworthy function. Unless, she realized, removing the cassette was what shut down Destiny's organs. That didn't make any sense, though. Why would a Pokémon be equipped with a button that instantly killed it? It would be stupid and impractical, Aurelia thought, just like many of the other traits the bizarre creature possessed. Narrowing her eyes in sudden understanding, she experimentally reinserted the drive in the cannon's empty slot.

Destiny screeched and gasped for breath as life spontaneously erupted in her body, gushing through her veins like an electrical current. What happened? Had she fainted? Why would that have happened? It had all gone too fast for her to form an idea of what she had been put through, and she would have never reached the conclusion that she had been killed and brought back to life.

"Son of a bitch," Aurelia snorted in bemusement. "Did that seriously just happen?" Shaking her head in disbelief, she hastily pressed the button again. Much like the first time the drive was ejected, the life was swiftly sapped from Destiny's body. "Why would she die if this thing was removed? It's just a piece of plastic," the hybrid mused inquisitively as she flipped it around in her hand. "And putting it in again makes her come back from the dead? That's insane." The Pokémon did have a suspiciously artificial appearance, which led Aurelia to believe that the cassette may have been a battery of some sort. Did that mean Destiny was a robot? Could she ever truly be considered alive while assuming her Pokémon form? How could a living organism transform into a fully synthetic object and back, and how could this object be capable of processing Destiny's human thoughts? Aurelia tried to push her confusion to the back of her mind; if she had been imbued with the ability to change into the deity that gave birth to the universe, she decided the world's science and technology must be much more advanced than she previously assumed.

"This could definitely come in handy. The next time I want to keep her from doing something dumb, all I've gotta do is take out her battery." Deciding not to share her discovery, Aurelia popped the drive into the slot and watched as the insect sprang to life once more.

_What's happening to me?_ Destiny cried in her head, horrified. _Why do I keep blacking out?_ She questioningly glanced at Aurelia, who looked disturbingly smug. The girl's shifty countenance made the hybrid uneasy. _Why is she smiling like that? Is she hiding something? She can't be the one doing this to me, can she? No, how would that work?_ The insect ducked her head audaciously. _I… can't let this bother me. I need to get to the airport._ She extended her arm, only to pull it back a second later._ This would be so much easier if I used my jets. I guess that's just what I'll have to do._ The thought of vaulting into the heavens again scared her, but she figured she'd stay grounded if she kept the soles of her feet in a horizontal position. Vigilantly staring down the other hybrid, she planted her stomach on the ground and tucked in her arms. Paranoid, Destiny cautiously tilted the bottoms of her feet skyward to guarantee she wouldn't lift off of the ground.

Realizing what she was planning, Aurelia jumped out of the way of her jets. "Well, there's nothing I can do about this," she grumbled sourly, charily keeping her distance.

_What's that supposed to mean?_ Destiny hesitated, confused. The other hybrid's remark supported her suspicion that she had some involvement in whatever was causing her to lose consciousness, but Destiny hadn't the slightest inkling as to what she could've possibly done. Aurelia's discomforting behavior compelled her to push herself forward prematurely. _Okay,_ Destiny unconfidently told herself as she swerved to dodge a thick tree trunk, _as long as I don't hit anything, it'll all be good. I should've known what would happen if I did this standing up… this is what I should've done from the start._ Her perilous flight and Aurelia's cryptic actions had cleared her mind of rage for at least the time being, allowing her to interpret things logically.

Though her fast reflexes kept her collision-free, the creature's poor peripheral vision proved to be a problem. Her line of sight was concentrated in a straight line, and her eyes' inability to move in their sockets made it impossible for her to focus on anything at her sides without moving her head. If Destiny were to turn and check if the airport was within reasonable distance, she'd be left blind to the obstacles in front of her. To ensure that she would be kept safe, she'd have to shift her body as a single unit, making sure that her thorax and abdomen followed the path of her head. There was risk involved in that tactic, too; what if she departed for the city before she reached the airport? Under normal circumstances, she'd certainly be able to loop around and try again, but her father had made it clear that danger awaited any hybrid that drew too close to the borders of the city. Was he the only one doing the hunting? If that were the case, she might've made it far enough away from him to avoid being caught. Taking her chances, Destiny heaved herself to the side.

Hurtling through the thick vegetation, the hybrid braced herself as she made out the lights of the city. _Here we go._ She couldn't see anything that resembled the airport or runway, which made her nervous. _This isn't going to work, _she despondently assured herself, too afraid to keep moving. _Nothing's going to work._ Deactivating both jets simultaneously, she skidded to a halt. She grumbled sorely and pushed herself onto her knees. Distant streetlights reflected off of her eyes and she gradually raised her head to peer up at the stars.

When Aurelia had told her that she believed fate was out to punish everyone, Destiny merely scoffed at her pessimistic outlook. As time pushed on and more horrors found their ways into her life, her stance transitioned from sanguinity to denial to straight-out cynicism. For Destiny, everything had begun to go downhill after she was put through her first revolting metamorphosis. The transformation itself had been enough to leave her in a state of shock—experiencing her organs being drawn downward and her skeleton being eaten away was nauseatingly unpleasant and unlike anything she had gone through before. Just the notion that her body—the body she had lived with her entire life; the body that she accepted was hers—had grotesquely twisted into something completely unrecognizable was irrefutably horrifying. She wasn't Destiny anymore; she was a terrible bug-eyed monster with a permanent ear-to-ear grin and an unstable build. The cannon jutting from between her shoulders was heavy enough to leave her with a hunched back, and her legs creaked and bowed under the weight of her torso. Nobody knew what she was; Destiny didn't know _who_ she was.

She knew that death was a natural, unpreventable occurrence that would befall everyone in the world at some point; she knew that, even with the understanding that it couldn't be avoided, coping with the loss of a loved one was a difficult process. "People, Pokémon—hell, even the plants we tread on when we step into the yard—they're all gonna die someday," said her father to a tearful Destiny the first time she saw him bring home a Sawsbuck. "That's why we've gotta make the best of 'em while they're still breathing. Or, in this case, respect that they gave their lives to do us good. In this household, nothin' goes to waste." These were simply things she had been taught in the same way students learned from textbooks; in all the years that she lived with her family, she had never been touched by the death of someone she cared about.

It wouldn't have mattered if Destiny knew Colby for less than twenty-four hours or her entire life; he was a sweet, selfless child who had a bright future ahead of him and there was no reason for him to have died. The hybrid had stepped into a room expecting to be greeted by the boy's smiling face, only to be met by the grisly sight of a nonhuman carcass with the organs of a child. It was draining to combat the glimpses of the gruesome discovery that continued to flash in her mind, threatening to rob her of what little resolve she still clung to. Even worse was the realization that she was to blame for this; carrying the burden of guilt was too much for her to handle. How long would it take for her to lose control?

If fate hadn't turned its back on her, her father certainly had. His lectures and advice were rendered meaningless with the revelation that he had been tearing away the lives of presumably innocent teenagers and leaving their bodies to rot. He had issued the excuse that he wanted to avenge his daughter, but even if Destiny had been slaughtered by one or two hybrids, was all this bloodshed necessary? It was unjust to punish people simply because they were assumed to have been accountable. The hybrids had not been given a fair trial; something she prayed her father would go through once he was apprehended for his crimes. Before this could happen, Destiny decided, there was one last hybrid that needed to be dealt with.

_I can't do this anymore._ Rapidly sucking in breaths, the insect listlessly lugged her metal body in the direction of the city.


	38. Hospice

The Icirrus Pokémon Medical Clinic, or IPMC, as a board over the door proclaimed, was a humble, family-operated health center. The bottom floor functioned like a miniature hospital, while the upper levels of the building were fully residential. Being the only veterinary clinic in Icirrus City, the office required reservations far in advance. Despite how it was located in a backwoods area, a fair share of trainers with Pokémon suffering from various maladies still regularly passed through. After all, the city was an essential stop for those on their Pokémon journeys, for it was the location of one of the eight Gyms making up the Unova League.

The weight of Archeops's body straining his back, Dragon collapsed against the door and scrambled to locate the handle. The grunt's repeated trips up and down the Dragonspiral Tower had left him exhausted; having to carry his injured Pokémon out of the wilderness and into the city pushed the limits of his physical capabilities. His clothes were drenched in a sordid mixture of blood, sweat, and dust; Archeops's gaping wound had left a trail of red splotches in the grass. Scared of being questioned about what he had been doing north of Icirrus and how his Archeops had gotten hurt, Dragon had assumed a low profile by travelling around the outskirts of the city. He had turned to his C-Gear for advice on where to find the nearest Pokémon hospital, and, even though he'd have trouble fulfilling its requirements, he knew visiting the IPMC was his only option.

The merry tone of a bell sounded when Dragon finally managed to get the door open: a stark contrast to his heated desperation. He clumsily stumbled into the lobby, nearly falling onto the carpeted floor. The grunt looked left and right for someone to consult, but the building appeared to be empty. Feeling sick, Dragon anxiously called, "Hello?"

"I'm terribly sorry," answered a moderately low voice from down the hall, "but we're not accepting patients at this time. You'll have to come back in a week or so. In the meantime, I suggest visiting the Pokémon Center in Opelucid City. It's not too far from here." He spoke in a monotone fashion, as if he had reiterated the statement many times before.

"Please," the grunt pleaded feebly, his voice little more than a whimper. "It's an emergency. We can't afford to go all the way to Opelucid." Archeops let out a muffled groan in apparent agreement.

The man, who Dragon presumed was a doctor, froze in his tracks when he entered the lobby. He studied the boy and his Pokémon with his dark brown gaze, horror overcoming his expression. "What in the name of…" he stuttered, "… what happened?"

Dragon gulped nervously. He had been too concerned with safely navigating the Dragonspiral Tower and not being caught trespassing to bother devising a fake explanation. Archeops's right wing had been viciously ripped off, leaving a bloodied humerus protruding from its side. A strip of flesh had been torn from its shoulder, and its body was splintered with little shards of glass. The latter detail would make it impossible to attribute the injury to the attack of a Pokémon alone. How could Dragon condense his account into something believable while avoiding any mention of the Dragonspiral Tower? The grunt decided that it may have been in his best interest to refrain from making up a fantasy story altogether.

"I don't know," he lied, hoping the doctor would mistake the uncertain quality of his voice for fear. "I found him like this. I think he must've been beaten with a glass bottle." Considering what he had been told when he was given Archeops, Dragon didn't think his excuse was too unreasonable. Blaming what he was responsible for on someone else made him feel bad, and he prayed Archeops understood that it wasn't his intention to not take blame for its fate. Guilt had already piled up in Dragon's heart; earlier that morning, he promised Archeops that it would fly free once Pokémon were liberated. How would it be able to roam the skies, let alone live like a normal Pokémon, with only one wing?

Though he appeared skeptical, the brown-haired man worriedly approached the boy and his Archeops. "Is he your Pokémon?" Overwhelmed, the doctor shook his head and returned to the hall. He peered through various doors, searching for a vacant room.

Dragon pursed his lips, weighing out the consequences of whether or not he claimed ownership of the Pokémon. He didn't have its Poké Ball on hand, meaning he had no proof that it belonged to him. Admitting that he was Archeops's trainer would make him appear irresponsible in the doctor's eyes, seeing as he said he didn't have a clue as to what had caused its injuries. Perhaps it would be for the better if he left Archeops to the doctor's jurisdiction; he didn't feel as if he deserved to be its trainer. Furthermore, once he handed over the Light Stone to his leader, the liberation of Pokémon would be imminent. In that case, it wouldn't matter if Archeops had a trainer or not.

The prospect raised another troubling issue, however: if separate worlds were created for humans and Pokémon, what would become of the hospitalized Archeops? Would it be left as easy pickings for predators like Druddigon in a world free of medical technology? The only way he could spare the First Bird Pokémon from inevitable doom would be if he quit working with N, and he knew he couldn't do that. If he procrastinated on his duties until his Pokémon was fully healed, perhaps it would stand a better chance at surviving in the wild. Archeops did not depend on their wings for transportation, after all—they were merely a convenience, and, as it turned out, Archeops were more adept on land than they were in the skies.

_That has nothing to do with what I tell the doctor, _Dragon snarled to himself, upset that he had let his mind wander. Though the doctor seemed to be preoccupied, the grunt figured that it'd be best if he answered his question as soon as possible. "No, he's not mine. I told you—I just found him like this," he insisted, wincing at his own words. Not only had he denied liability of Archeops's injury, but he also rebuffed their partnership. He couldn't bear to imagine what his Pokémon thought about his allegations.

"Quick, come this way," the man ordered, urgently beckoning Dragon forward. The teenager hurriedly followed him into a room, where he was instructed to lay Archeops on an examination table. The panicked doctor secured the creature to the counter before dragging over a machine mounted on a base with wheels. He then threw open a drawer and began rummaging through it in frustration.

Archeops made a croaking noise, its toes twitching in agitation. Its trainer stretched his arm to comfort it, but then hesitated when he remembered its skin was embedded with glass. "Everything will be just fine," Dragon assured his Pokémon softly. "The nice doctor will make you all better. You're being so brave!" He felt a surge of pride for Archeops in the way a father would be proud of his son, temporarily replacing his guilt with positive emotion. Dragon admired the creature's resilience and fortitude; if he were in its place, he thought, he couldn't possibly think of enduring the pain. It touched him that the courageous Pokémon had sacrificed so much for him. Not only had Archeops risked its life to allow him to salvage the Light Stone, but it had also protected its trainer from the Golurk sentinel. Dragon didn't know what he could do to show the Pokémon just how grateful he was.

Clutching a black rubber mask, the doctor sternly slammed the drawer shut. He took a deep breath before saying, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave." The standoffish man's harsh motions made it clear to Dragon that he was dealing with a lot of stress, and he couldn't blame him. Judging by what he had said earlier, it seemed like he was taking a break from his job. The grunt found it odd that there were no notices signifying his vacation on the clinic's door; perhaps he was simply overrun by patients. Was he the only doctor maintaining the IPMC? _Working solo in a place as busy as this would certainly be crazy, _Dragon mused, cringing at the thought.

"Right," the boy replied, obediently stepping toward the door. "Could I give you my C-Gear number so you can keep me up to date about Archeops's status?"

The doctor paused after pressing the conical mask onto the Pokémon's muzzle. "You told me he wasn't yours. He's in good hands now. You need not concern yourself with his recovery."

Though the doctor appeared adamant that the creature would recuperate, something about his reluctance to keep in touch made Dragon uncomfortable. Was he using the boy's denial of ownership as an excuse to avoid having to share bad news? Otherwise, he found it hypocritical for the doctor to deem it abnormal for Dragon to care about a Pokémon that wasn't his own—the man's entire career revolved around healing the Pokémon of complete strangers. _Maybe he's in it for the money. The government pays vets and doctors huge amounts of cash, so this guy must be filthy rich if he's the only one working here._

"Okay, I'll be on my way, then." Not wanting to be a bother, Dragon reached for the doorknob and slipped out of the room. Realizing that this may have been the last opportunity to see Archeops, he whispered, "Goodbye, buddy. You've been a great friend to me." Once he was out of the doctor's sight, he slowed his pace and pondered what to do next. _I can't call Lord N yet, but I don't want to wait too long. With injuries like that, I have no idea how long it will take Archeops to recover. I also have to consider the amount of time it will take for Lord N to assemble the Great Dragon. He seems to know what he's doing, but he never told me how he's going to go about this. Will he be able to construct the Great Dragon as soon as Ben and the Light Stone are together? The way he barged into the room spouting something about "finding the missing piece" made it seem like there's more to it than that. Either way, N is expecting me to return to headquarters on my own. I'll wait around here until he starts getting worried and gives me a call._

"Damn!" A loud female voice shook Dragon from his thoughts, and the grunt immediately turned his attention to the stairs. A woman who looked to be the same age as the doctor was leaning against the railing, a bewildered expression on her face. She had a slightly rounder frame compared to the man, and ruddier brown hair. "I hope that's not your blood. We only treat Pokémon here."

Dragon glanced down at his bloody uniform before flashing the woman a look of disgust. Her lighthearted tone signified that she was trying to crack a joke, but he didn't find it funny. _She must work here, too. She's awfully insensitive for someone with this kind of job._ Dragon didn't particularly like either of the doctors, but he figured the only thing that really mattered was whether or not they were good at what they did.

The female doctor looked disappointed, as if she hadn't been expecting that reaction. "I'm sorry, kiddo. It must be pretty bad if you convinced my husband to do something about it. See, we're supposed to be taking a couple weeks off… but unfortunately, that's nearly impossible, what with all the business around here. Working at this place can be pure chaos sometimes! There's no need to worry, though! Rodger certainly knows his stuff. If I were the one doing the work, on the other hand… ah, I'm kidding! They don't just hand out PhDs to anyone, y'know." She continued to stare at his clothes in bemusement. "I can wash those for you if you want. I have a son your age, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you borrowed something of his. He never wears half the things I buy him, anyway." There was a tinge of sadness in her voice, but Dragon couldn't tell why.

"Oh, okay, I guess." The grunt thought it would be awkward to walk around in someone else's clothing, but it would be even worse to roam the streets of Icirrus looking like he had bathed in a pool of blood.

"All right, just give me a second." The female doctor disappeared up the stairs and promptly returned with a white sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. She studied the sweatshirt as if she didn't recall choosing it. "Huh, maybe I should've picked a different color." The woman lobbed them off the side of the staircase, and Dragon, who hadn't been paying attention, let them fall to the ground. The boy swiftly grabbed the clothes in embarrassment, taking care not to get any blood on them. "The bathroom's the first door upstairs. Just throw your clothes in the hamper and I'll take care of them. You might want to take a shower while you're at it." Though the doctor came off as a bit thick-skinned, she appeared to be a kind, motherly person at heart. _I barely even know her and she's acting like I'm her own child. It makes me wonder how she treats her actual son._

Dragon made his way up the stairs, taking notice of a family portrait hanging on the wall. Between the likes of Rodger and his wife was a smiling teenage boy with shaggy chestnut hair and large brown eyes. The grunt did a double take, recognizing who the boy was at once. _Ben! That's Ben!_ He was struck by the memory of the Zekrom stating that he lived in Icirrus City and explaining what he knew about the Dragonspiral Tower. _Of course! How could I forget?_

Coming face to face with Ben's parents reminded Dragon that the hybrids were real people with families that loved them. The two doctors couldn't have possibly known what happened to their son, and Dragon didn't think they would believe him if he told them the truth. _I can't just march up to them and say that their son gained the ability to turn into Zekrom and now he's being used by an organization to divide humans and Pokémon. I wouldn't believe it myself if I wasn't caught up in the middle of it. I can't just leave them in the dark, though. I have to tell them something._ The grunt had a suspicion that Ben's parents wouldn't agree to what N planned to do with their son, meaning his plan would be crushed. _That means I've gotta wait. Ben's dad doesn't want me to come back, but his mom seems easier to work with. Once Lord N completes his goal, maybe then I'll be able to explain things to them._

Dragon hadn't considered what would become of Ben after N was done using the Great Dragon. Would he be freed, or would he be permanently grafted to the beast? What would Ben's parents think if their son was trapped in the shape of a god forever? Seeing as the Great Dragon was made up of multiple entities, would it even truly be their son? The boy didn't understand how a creature like that would function, and thinking about it scared him. _If I don't act now, Ben's family might never see him again… but Ben has accepted his fate, the plans have been made, and Archeops nearly died making this possible. It's too late to turn back. If Ben makes it out of this, I'll be sure to let his parents know. If not, there's nothing we can do. If Lord N truly is the hero of legend, then this was destined to happen. All of these sacrifices, all of these tragedies… they're stepping stones for Lord N to conquer his dream and bring justice to the world. I just wish there was a way to tell Ben's parents he's alive and well._

"What are you gawking at?" Dragon jumped at the sound of the woman's voice. She shifted her gaze to the picture the grunt had been staring at. A small frown creasing her mouth, she murmured, "Oh, that's Ben, my son." She briefly froze before changing the subject. "Silly me; I never introduced myself! My name is Amanda, but you can call me Mandy. You don't need to call me "doctor" or anything—it would get pretty confusing that way, since Rodger and I have the same surname. Ah, could you imagine if Benny decided to work here, too? He kept saying he wanted to be a veterinarian, but I think it was just a phase."

Mandy sometimes acted like it hurt to mention her son, but then she'd go on to talk about him as if he were in the room with her. The behavior confused Dragon; was she trying to cover up her emotions and pretend Ben was fine? Curious about how she would respond, the grunt unthinkingly asked, "Where is Ben?"

The doctor hesitated again. She narrowed her amber eyes, her tone abruptly turning dark. "How strange of you to ask," she affirmed guardedly. "Why does it matter to you? I don't suppose you know where he is, do you?"

"Huh?" Dragon hollered in feigned surprise. "What do you mean? Has he gone missing?" He realized a moment too late that it was rather suspicious for him to have asked where her son was out of the blue. _A normal person would assume he's off on his Pokémon journey or at school. That was a bad move… now she's onto me._

Mandy knit her brows irately, treading closer to the grunt. "Yes. He's been missing for several days now. He went to school one day and never made it back. My husband and I have been doing everything we can to locate him, but so far we haven't found any leads. That's why we're supposed to be taking time off. The way you're acting… are you sure you don't know anything about this?"

"No, no!" Dragon cried, holding out his hands defensively. "I'm… in his class and I've been wondering why he's been absent the past few days."

"Is that so?" The woman forced a smile onto her face, slowly transitioning to her normal, cheery voice. "Well, if you come across any clues, make sure to let me know as soon as possible. Now, go take your shower." It was obvious that she didn't trust him, but Dragon was relieved that she had decided to stop getting on his case. The boy found it frightening how quickly she transformed from a carefree woman to a fierce Beartic of a mother. _She really cares about him a lot._ Dragon didn't know if he'd like it if his mother was that protective. _She must've forbid him from becoming a trainer. That's probably why she made it sound like he wants to follow in her footsteps. She's a very controlling, assertive person… I wonder how many decisions Ben gets to make on his own._

As Dragon shut the bathroom door, he couldn't shake the feeling that Ben's mother was somehow watching him. Letting a deep breath escape, he set his bag on the counter and cautiously peered into it. _The Light Stone has been sitting in that old tower for centuries, and when it's finally taken out it gets shoved in a bag and thrown in a bathroom. I hope it will forgive me; I'd hate to meet an angry Reshiram._

The water felt warm on the boy's back, rejuvenating him and allowing him to unwind. In that moment, only Dragon and the cascading wall of water existed. He was free from the stress of his Pokémon's injury and Mandy's qualms, and he didn't have to worry about his responsibility of bringing the Light Stone to his leader. Without his Team Plasma uniform on, he might as well have just been a normal kid. Though the serenity was refreshing, he eventually forced himself to shut off the water, figuring it'd be rude of him to dawdle for such a long time. He was suddenly transported back to his hectic world when he stepped out of the shower and saw his bloody uniform in the bottom of the hamper and the swollen bag resting on the counter.

_These are Ben's clothes, _he reminded himself, holding up the sweatshirt and jeans in revulsion. Though Dragon felt sympathy for the hybrid, it was a stretch to say they were acquaintances. Ben's haughty, hotheaded nature tended to annoy the more aloof grunt; having to wear the disagreeable boy's outfit perturbed him. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and fought to squirm into the clothing. Ben had a notably small and gaunt figure, and his clothes didn't agree very well with Dragon's taller height and broader shoulders. The grunt could hear the sweatshirt's seams popping as he struggled to get comfortable.

As soon as he took a step out of the bathroom, Dragon was greeted by Mandy's frenzied voice. "Some green-haired hooligan just parked an airplane in the yard! He knocked on the door and said he was looking for a dragon!" The boy's heart dropped. _Lord N is here? How… how did he find me? _Seconds after the question surfaced in his mind, he remembered that C-Gears were equipped with a function that acted as a tracking device. Those who had registered each other had the ability to view where in the Unova region they were located. _Why didn't he wait for me to get back to headquarters on my own? I guess he must've seen that I was visiting the IPMC and figured that something bad happened to my Pokémon… or maybe he doesn't trust me and wanted to get his hands on the Light Stone as soon as possible. What does this mean for Archeops?_

"What?" It was Rodger. "Should I call the police?"

Dragon raced down the stairs. "No, it's fine! He's my friend!"

"I suggest you find some new friends. I certainly wouldn't want my Ben palling around with a freak like that." Mandy appeared from the room Archeops was being kept in, her arms crossed. "I take it that plane is your ride? Well, don't forget to check back in a day or so. I don't think Benny would be happy if he came back to find that his clothes had been exchanged for… whatever the hell you were wearing."

"Yeah, okay, I will," Dragon rashly responded, anxious to leave the clinic. "Thanks for everything." He gave Ben's mother one last look before exiting the building and rushing up to the small plane as quickly as the undersized jeans would let him. As he boarded the airplane, which he noticed was the same one N had used to leave the P2 Laboratory, he was surprised to find an older man in place of the young female pilot.

The replacement pilot, who had apparently detected the boy's confusion, said, "Were you expecting to see my daughter? Piloting two consecutive flights in the middle of the night really wore Skyla out." Dragon took a moment to digest what the man had said. _It was pretty late when we arrived at headquarters. Who in the world would've arranged a flight so late at night?_ Using anything other than Pokémon for transportation was almost unheard of in the Unova region, so flights were more often than not scheduled for more convenient daytime hours.

As Dragon marched into the cabin of the plane, it didn't take long for him to find that Skyla's father wasn't the only parent standing in for his child. Ghetsis was seated in the front row, and resting next to him was the unmoving body of Genesect. The unfortunate creature had fallen onto its side, despite the official's efforts to keep it upright. Ghetsis grinned at the sight of the apprehensive grunt. "Good afternoon, Drake. Are you surprised?"

Dragon stood frozen, unsure of how to react. _What in the world does Ghetsis want with me?_ Panic swept across the boy's heart as he was struck by a realization. _He's here to take the Light Stone! Good Arceus, what am I supposed to do? What would Lord N do if I told him Ghetsis stole the Light Stone? He'd never trust me again!_ When Dragon had encountered the man while he was out searching for Genesect, he had made it clear that his ambitions differed from N's. Had he merely manipulated N so he could use the Light Stone for his own intentions? Trembling with fear, the grunt protectively wrapped his arms around his bag.

Ghetsis frowned. "Is something the matter?" He glanced out the window, noticing that the airplane was rolling down the field. "Take a seat, Drake. The plane is about to lift off."

His heart hammering in his chest, Dragon seated himself as far away from the man as he could. He placed the bag on his lap, staying alert to make sure Ghetsis wouldn't swipe it from him when he wasn't looking.

"There's no need to be so jumpy," Ghetsis chided as he pulled Genesect up. "I don't want anything from you. I just have a proposition to make."

_A proposition? _Dragon repeated in his head. _What does he mean by that? He's not going to try to con me out of the Light Stone, is he?_

The green-haired man reclined in his seat. "See, I've already told you so many things that your ears weren't supposed to hear… and you've been doing a great job of keeping the information safe! Not only that, but you were the first grunt to bring back a hybrid alive! You're the ideal model of a Team Plasma member, and I thought I'd reward you for your good behavior. Now, if you're willing, I could let you in on another little secret. What do you say?" Ghetsis was uncannily cheerful, which made the boy uneasy.

_What do I say?_ Dragon nervously asked himself. _I suppose it wouldn't hurt to listen._ As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was awfully curious about Ghetsis's so-called secret. "What… what is it?" he stammered.

"It's becoming more and more apparent that normal grunts are too incompetent to hunt down the hybrids," Ghetsis told him. "There have been multiple reports of grunts nearly losing their Pokémon while trying to take them down. As an organization that advocates the wellbeing of Pokémon, this is completely unacceptable… which is why I've devised an alternate solution. A better option may be to fight fire with fire—in other words, use hybrids allied with Team Plasma to combat the hybrids created by the traitor. I don't suppose you'd be willing to become the first of this new batch of hybrids, would you? You could be combined with any Legendary Pokémon of your choosing!"

Dragon's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't believe his ears! _What is he thinking? This is madness! _The hybrids were being hunted down simply because their abilities were deemed too dangerous—what would be the sense of deploying an equally dangerous squadron of hybrids to fight them? If Team Plasma's hybrids were going to be allowed to live, then why couldn't the traitor's creations just be spared? "How… would that work?" was all he managed to utter.

"I did make it sound rather hypocritical, didn't I? Well, after we obtained the recipe for creating the formula, several adjustments were made. One of the most dangerous features of the traitor's hybrids is their unpredictability. They change randomly, which isn't the case with the improved formula. If someone were to be injected with this formula, they could choose to never assume their Pokémon form! They have complete control over their bodies, meaning they'd have no problem fitting in with society. If I only bestowed these powers upon responsible individuals like you, there would be nothing to worry about." Genesect slumped over again in the middle of his explanation.

_If you put it that way, I suppose it makes a bit more sense._ Dragon tried to get himself to calm down. _That doesn't make it right, though! Pokémon getting hurt at the hands of the hybrids is wrong, but to do something like that… it's unspeakable! When N rebuilds the Great Dragon, there will be no need to hunt the hybrids. The world will be at peace, so there's no need for unnecessary bloodshed before then. What will Ghetsis do if I refuse_? _It's not like he could just kill me in the middle of this plane. I've got to speak my mind; there's no way I could agree to this!_ Straightening his back, the grunt bravely declared, "I could never do that."

The smile didn't fade from Ghetsis's face. "It's fine if you disagree, but… don't you forget what I told you earlier. Don't turn your back on me now, Drake. GMP156 may have acted docile the first time you saw it, but now that it's in my control, I can make full use of its arsenal." He grabbed Genesect's back, twisting it so its cannon was pointed at Dragon's head. "It's unconscious now, but it will spring to life as soon as I reinsert its drive. I won't have to do that, now, will I?"

"No, sir." Dragon swallowed hard. _He's awfully confident in his ability to make threats, which works because he really looks like the kind of person who would act upon them. This is out of control. How can I continue hiding all of this from Lord N? I need to do something… I need to tell him all of this._ The words he had used to reassure himself earlier echoed in his mind. _It's often necessary to make sacrifices for the greater good. Maybe that's the role I need to play. Maybe there's a reason I've made it this far; why I was able to climb the ranks and become what Ghetsis considers "an ideal model of a Team Plasma member". I may not know what to do about Archeops, or what to tell Ben's parents, but I do know that I can do this._ The grunt inhaled, making up his mind. _After N awakens Reshiram… I'll warn him about Ghetsis. I'll tell him everything he's told me about the true purpose of Team Plasma, and Genesect, and what he plans to do about the hybrids. I know it will kill me, but this is a sacrifice I'm willing to make._


	39. Barriers

As refreshing as it was to not have to listen to Destiny's shrill voice, there were times Aurelia wished her Pokémon form had the ability to communicate. It was obvious that the insect had been trying to tell her something specific, but the Arceus hybrid hadn't a clue what to make of her garbled speech and abrupt gestures. All she could tell was that Destiny didn't want to return to the abandoned building, which she thought was a moronic idea. One of the first things she had learned about the blond girl was that she struggled to cope with stressful situations, and Aurelia turned her nose up at the behavior. _She needs to conquer her fears and move on. What I think she doesn't realize is that when a bad experience is over, it's over. There's no need to cling to the memories and continue wallowing in dread._

While it was true that Aurelia was more conditioned to tragedy than some, her assertions hardly expressed what she was really going through. She often boasted that she relished freedom and the ability to move from place to place, but a part of her yearned for the warmth and comfort of her now broken family. She longed to listen to her mother's pompous accounts of her life and past romances, and she even missed the constant background noise of her brother's favorite science fiction movies. She craved the impossible dream of reliving her childhood; a time when she hadn't yet been exposed to the harsh realities of the world. With no way to regain her innocence, the cold hybrid had forgotten how to respect the bliss of those who had not yet been touched by the cruel hands of fate.

Why did Aurelia insist on following the girl she clearly deemed inferior? Did she take pleasure in seeing herself proven right as the world crumbled down around Destiny? Did she hope the positive attitude Destiny initially presented would rub off on her in the same way the insect was beginning to pick up her pessimism? Or did she simply want to appease fate by sticking with the person it had led her to? Perhaps there was something reassuring about knowing that she wasn't the only shapeshifting freak in the world, or maybe it had something to do with her deep-seated desire for company. Even Aurelia didn't know for certain why she had chosen not to abandon the other hybrid.

_Those jets of hers certainly compensate for her walking speed. She's gotta be going at least fifty miles per hour. Good thing she usually doesn't make it very far,_ Aurelia thought sourly as she raced to catch up to the runaway insect. She was thankful for the noisy roar of her jets, which gave her a pretty good idea of which direction Destiny was going. _The idiot's heading straight for the city. Didn't she learn her lesson the first time? That's not even stubbornness—it's plain stupidity. _Among all her other reasons to follow Destiny was Aurelia's urgency to stop the girl before she ran into the gun-wielding man again. It was a miracle that he had decided to let them go; surely he would change his mind if one of the hybrids broke their promise. Not only that, but perhaps he would feel the need to bring his senseless massacre to the forest—meaning that Aurelia would be at risk as well.

The Arceus hybrid grinned when the sound was abruptly cut off. _Good. That means she stopped. I just hope she didn't make it to the city._ Concerned, the weary girl sprinted faster. She had been unable to catch even a glimpse of sleep after the commotion of the hectic day, and she prayed she'd be able to strike an agreement with the insect so they could both return to the shelter of the building. _I wonder what time it is. If I only had my C-Gear, I'd be able to check._ Aurelia contemplated that there may have been another advantage to having a device that could tell time: it could be used to determine whether or not their transformations lasted for a set amount of time. That knowledge could be used strategically: while the maniac with the gun had seen Aurelia's true form, he only knew Destiny by her vile insect shape. Therefore, the blond-haired girl could sneak into Mistralton and look for help.

_How long has she been that bug for this time? The sooner she changes back, the better. It'll be so much easier to work with her when she can talk and can't fly away with those stupid jets._ Aurelia had already been in her Pokémon form for a while the first time Destiny had reverted to her human shape, which gave her reason to believe the frequency and duration of their transformations were random. Aurelia hadn't been there to witness Destiny's first transformation, but she couldn't imagine it had occurred long before her own.

If the changes didn't occur at even intervals, then what could possibly be triggering them? Was it a response to environmental factors in the way that some Pokémon evolved when exposed to certain stimuli? If Aurelia could isolate a cause, then perhaps there would be a way for her to stop the transformations altogether. _Now that I think of it, this hybrid stuff is a lot like evolution… except when Pokémon evolve, they don't return to their original shapes. I should be thankful it doesn't work that way with us hybrids._ As a seasoned Pokémon trainer, Aurelia had watched the Pokémon on her team undergo evolution several times. Evolved Pokémon were much more powerful than their lesser forms, so she had pressured them to change as soon as possible. _It makes me wonder if they really wanted to evolve… I certainly never want to "evolve" into Arceus again. There really aren't any downsides to when normal Pokémon evolve, though. A Gigalith, a Darmanitan, and a Haxorus could walk into a city without being shot at._

When Aurelia could make out a faint outline of the purple creature, she angrily shouted, "Des!" in a hushed voice. Destiny, who was standing unstably on two legs, flashed the other hybrid an indignant look before doggedly turning away and taking a step forward. "Get the hell back here!" Aurelia growled. "Don't make me—" She cut herself off, not wanting to let Destiny know what she had found out about her drive. It was indeed a useful discovery; the only problem was that the insect's metal body was most likely much too heavy for Aurelia to carry. _It will come in handy once we get back to the building… but that's the entire problem._

Destiny resumed glaring at her suspiciously, questioningly tilting her head. Aurelia had a feeling that she suspected her of causing her "deaths", but she figured she couldn't have done anything to prevent that. The Arceus hybrid tried to imagine what the insect experienced when her drive was removed: did she feel any pain? Was she actually dead, or had she merely entered a state in which it seemed that way? If the latter were the case, was she aware of what was going on around her? It was hard for Aurelia to form any guesses, simply because the event was so bizarre and otherworldly. _You can't ask a toy what it goes through when you take out its batteries because it isn't alive, and therefore it wouldn't actually be able to die in a literal sense. A living thing, on the other hand… this just shouldn't be possible. Why in the name of Arceus would anyone think it'd be a good idea to drag something out of a crappy sci-fi movie and into the real world?_

Aurelia irritably gritted her teeth. _I just don't know what to do. Des won't be able to tell me what she wants until she's back to normal, and I think she's already made it clear that I'm not going to have any luck trying to reason with a robot bug. It's too late for this. I need sleep._ She almost considered yanking out Destiny's battery then and there and hitting the hay right where she was standing, which led her to wonder what would happen if Destiny returned to her human shape while her drive was missing.

"Come on," Aurelia sighed despairingly, softening her tone. She spoke down to the hybrid, as if she were dealing with an unruly Pokémon rather than a human being. "You can't tell me you aren't tired. You know, I bet that's why you're so cranky. Maybe if you got some rest, you'd realize that you're making a big fuss over nothing. Can we please just go back to the building? I'm begging you."

Destiny seemed perplexed by Aurelia's sudden change in demeanor, but it didn't make her any more willing to fulfill her wishes. She resentfully treaded another step forward, but then froze in her tracks when a roaring noise split the air. The insect turned her head to the heavens eagerly, shifting her face so her eyes followed a dark object across the sky—an airplane. "_Wrraaarrgghoorrr!_" Destiny shouted excitedly, feverishly flailing her arms.

The brunette took a moment to absorb what had happened, and, just as quickly as it had occurred, everything made sense. The insect's gesticulations had been in mimicry of an airplane taking off, and she even attempted to impersonate one herself by launching her body into the air. _Well, it was a valiant effort. For all I knew, she could've been suggesting that we scale Twist Mountain. But is that really what's driving her to act like a stubborn little brat? What good would hitching a ride on a plane do us? Or rather, how in the world does she expect us to go about doing that? Heck, I think we'd have better luck going through Twist Mountain. At least there wouldn't be any psychos with guns down that route._

Aurelia couldn't grasp why Destiny thought it would be a good idea to leave the forest entirely when everything they needed was already available there. The abandoned building provided them with shelter, and it was stocked with enough rations to keep them well-fed for a long period of time. The only thing they were lacking was security—their encounter with Lynn proved that the forest was by no means safe. While the particular grunt's bark was far worse than her bite, running into more skillful, experienced members of Team Plasma was a looming possibility. Colby had insisted that the area was under investigation, which was what compelled Aurelia to return to the mysterious building in the first place. As she never did find what she had been searching for, she and Destiny were left unarmed and defenseless to the dangers that may have been lurking in the woods.

While it was true that leaving the area would eliminate the threat of Team Plasma, doing so wouldn't be possible unless the hybrids risked putting themselves in jeopardy. Aurelia didn't know if Mistralton City was included in the area Team Plasma was investigating—no matter, the intent of the gun-wielding man had been enough evidence to support her theory that entering civilization would be a dangerous endeavor. _When people meet someone strange or different, they never look past the surface. Humans are visual creatures, and that holds true in the way they perceive others: it all comes down to the way people look and act, whereas what's inside—what truly makes a person who they are—is merely an afterthought. They see things in terms of "what" rather than "who" and jump to conclusions without paying heed to anything but their own prejudiced notions. Yeah, maybe we hybrids really are a menace to humanity, but is anybody going to listen to what we have to say? That's how society always has and will operate as a whole, and that ignorant lunatic proves my point. Destiny must understand that if she thinks we should go somewhere else, but she's not putting two and two together. We can't just go strolling into Mistralton, even if we're only going to be there for a few seconds. We'll be met with that same degree of intolerance—intolerance strong enough that it might just be fatal._

Even Aurelia was susceptible to the behavior she appeared to detest so strongly. Of course, she had no way of knowing the passive purple insect was fitted with a human brain until she revealed her true form. If Destiny truly were a Pokémon, would it have been any less wrong to make those assumptions about her? Was that state of mind justified when applied to anything other than a human? This impetuous instinct most likely served as a reminder of mankind's archaic past: throughout prehistory, "strange" was synonymous with "dangerous" and thus anything that deviated from the norm was viewed as a threat. This allowed man to fear hostile Pokémon in an era prior to when domestication was conceived, but was this intuition still necessary among the advancements and developments of modern times? Why did humans continue to judge Pokémon simply by what they saw on the outside? Was there more beyond their outer layers? Aurelia had been convinced that Destiny was a non-sapient creature purely because she did not look human and could not speak her language, which were traits carried by most Pokémon of the world—what did this say about what divided people and Pokémon?

Despite Aurelia's objections to the idea, the prospect of leaving all her troubles behind her and starting anew—something she had so heavily relied on throughout her life—was especially tempting. If she survived the trip through the city and made it onto a plane, she'd never have to worry about Team Plasma and the vengeful father again. It didn't necessarily mean she would be able to escape prejudice, but it'd at least allow her to slip under the radar of the two groups specifically hunting her down. _Let's suppose we do make it out alive. What are we supposed to do for food and shelter? Something tells me that there's not going to be anything like that building wherever we end up, and even if there is, the supplies won't last forever. Of course, that's also a problem where we are now. Well, the airport is run by Skyla, isn't it?_ Just thinking about the magenta-haired girl was enough to make Aurelia grimace. _As pushy as she is, she's still a Gym Leader, and Gym Leaders are figures of authority. If anything, that whole spiel about seeing Pokémon for their true selves should mean that she'd be more willing to accept us. If we can reason with her, we might be able to arrange something: a designated safe place, or some sort of special protection. Anything would be nice. _

Another thing stood out in Aurelia's mind: the arrival of the airplane itself. _Who travels by plane at this hour? What a coincidence! I mean, I would've never made the connection between Destiny's movements and an airplane if the thing hadn't shown up overhead._ Being a highly superstitious person, Aurelia was inclined to believe the aircraft's chance appearance was more than just a coincidence. Could fate be pointing her in the right direction for once, or was it merely leading her into a trap? _It's a sign. It's gotta be a sign. I don't know if it's a good omen or a bad one, but there's no other explanation for this. I guess there's only one way to find out what it means._

"The airport," the Arceus hybrid finally remarked, looking into Destiny's hopeful eyes. "That's what you've been trying to tell me—you want to go to the airport."

The insect let out a noise that Aurelia could only describe as a cheer, bobbing her broad head vigorously. She then came to an abrupt halt, as if she detected a hint of apprehension in the other hybrid's tone. Destiny clicked her metal claws together and raised them to her face, and Aurelia wasn't sure if she was pleading with her or praying.

Figuring it would be a waste of time to explain herself, Aurelia smirked at the sight and turned her back to the insect. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get moving."

Destiny was taken aback. She absently lowered her arms to her sides, unsure what to make of her uncannily compliant companion.

When Aurelia noticed she wasn't being followed, she spun on her heel and shot the hybrid a quizzical look. "Make up your mind, will you? You went through all that trouble to tell me where you wanted to go, and now you're just going to stand there and stare at me like I'm an idiot?"

Caught off guard, Destiny cringed at the girl's harsh retort. Once she had recovered, she questioningly moved forward a step, afraid that Aurelia would snap at her again.

"Come on, hurry up!" the Arceus hybrid urged. She paused, mulling over what she had said. "Well, don't use your jets. If we want to make it through the city without being caught, we'll need to be as discreet as possible. I won't hesitate to drag you along again if that's what it comes to." Aside from that, what else could Aurelia do to better their odds of survival? _It would help if I knew exactly where the airport is. I've been to Mistralton before, but I never thought it'd be important to memorize the layout of the city. Des seemed to know where she was going._ Thinking back, she asked, "Hey, didn't you say you're from Mistralton?"

The insect confirmed the girl's suspicion with a dip of her head.

"Great," mumbled the other hybrid approvingly. Pointing in the direction Destiny had been travelling, Aurelia said, "I take it the airport's that way?"

Destiny nodded again. It would've been much more helpful if she could've provided more elaborate details about the airport's location, but Aurelia settled for the information she had been given. She hoped Destiny would step in and deter her if she tried to go the wrong way. _There are times where she seems so oblivious to what's going on around her, like when I was making fun of her. I don't think she picked up a thing. I wonder if it's some kind of defense mechanism._

Aurelia hung close to the edge of the forest, keeping an eye out for anything that resembled a runway. _From what I remember, that airport takes up a good portion of the city. It shouldn't be too hard to miss._ As it housed only a couple of planes, Unova's sole airport was relatively small compared to those used by commercial airlines in other regions. In spite of this, the girl had thought the sprawling runway was an impressive sight to see.

Aurelia's progress was impeded by her maddening paranoia. She couldn't shake the feeling that deciding to follow through with Destiny's plan was a bad idea. The hybrid constantly had to remind herself that the plodding footsteps behind her belonged to Destiny, and she still found herself glancing over her shoulder with every few steps. She made sure to tread lightly, even though her attempt to keep a low profile was made pointless by the insect's lumbering movements. She'd flinch every time one of them snapped a twig or rustled tall grass, and she nearly toppled over when Destiny suddenly screeched at the top of her lungs.

"Great Arceus, what the hell was that for? You've already done enough to tell that madman where we are! Be quiet!" Aurelia scolded sharply, her voice reduced to a whisper. The purple creature, whose legs were shaking violently, limply pointed at a small shape by her feet. Aurelia held her breath as she studied the lifeless figure.

The child—Aurelia couldn't tell if it was a boy or girl—looked to be around Colby's age. Though it was human in shape, several of its features looked odd and unnatural. Its body was abnormally petite, and it was covered with a fine layer of pale pink hair. Positioned high on the sides of its head were a pair of pointed ears, and its large, baby blue eyes stared vacantly. A slender tail poked from the small of its back. The most disturbing detail was the tiny bullet hole carved into the side of its skull.

_Fate just doesn't want to let anyone grow up,_ Aurelia observed, biting her lip. _I guess this means the hunter's already covered this area, but that doesn't mean he won't be coming back. It's astonishing that he was able to kill a hybrid while they were changing—the process only takes two minutes at most. I suppose a half-transformed hybrid makes for an easy target, since it's not like they can get up and run away._ She gazed out into the city, taking notice of her proximity to a neighborhood. _If that weirdo fired a gun this close to where people live, surely someone must have called the police. Well, unless they see him as a hero and think he's doing the right thing._ The thought made Aurelia feel ill.

Destiny let out a series of whimpers as she hid her face behind her pillar-like arms. Aurelia groaned in annoyance. _Wonderful, another thing for her to freak out about. We don't need to go through this again._ She sternly grabbed one of the insect's arms and shoved it away from her head. "Knock it off," the girl hissed. "What's in the past is in the past, and there's nothing we can do about it. Unless you want to end up like that kid, you better get walking." Destiny squealed softly as Aurelia tugged her forward, nearly causing her to trip over the child's corpse.

Relief filled Aurelia's mind when she made out a long, flat clearing in the distance—the runway. Much to her vexation, she saw that there was a chain link fence protectively wrapped around the stretch of land. Not daring to leave the shelter of the trees to get a closer look, she carefully scouted the barrier for a gap or break. When her search turned out fruitless, she shook her head disdainfully. _I guess we'll have to climb it. I can manage, but I'm worried about Des. She can barely even walk as that dumb thing._

Aurelia glanced both ways before darting toward the fence. Catching her breath, she clenched her teeth and thrust herself up. The fence rattled noisily as she climbed, causing fear to spike in her heart. Motivated by the thought of the man shooting her from behind, she furiously clambered to the top. The hybrid swung her legs over the fence and let herself drop to the other side, hitting the ground hard on her knees. She gripped the fence and pulled herself to her feet, peering out into the forest. Destiny was staring back at her, her head cocked in its usual pitifully clueless way. Knitting her brows, Aurelia beckoned her forward in frustration.

Destiny skeptically pressed forward, her gaze locked on the Arceus hybrid. Too concerned with making sure she didn't fall down, the insect didn't bother to double-check her surroundings. Destiny's painfully slow movements kept Aurelia on edge; she was just waiting to hear a gunshot and watch the purple creature keel over. The girl wondered how much, if any, protection her metal exoskeleton offered. _I think it helped with her fall earlier. She probably would've ended up as a pancake otherwise._ Aurelia didn't know if that meant she was bulletproof, but she found it amusing that a Pokémon that was pathetically ineffectual in every other attribute was so incredibly durable. _I guess it's necessary. I can't imagine she'd live very long if her armor was as useless as the rest of her._ Aurelia laughed to herself at the thought of the creature tripping and shattering like glass.

When Destiny finally reached the fence, she tipped her head back, intimidated by the height. She then began to stare at Aurelia again, as if she were awaiting instruction. "Go for it," the Arceus hybrid muttered coolly, not sure of what else to tell her. If they weren't risking their lives, Aurelia would've thought it'd be entertaining to watch Destiny try to scale the fence, but as this clearly was not the case, she didn't look forward to seeing her struggle. The insect had only one inflexible digit per hand, meaning that she wouldn't be able to hold onto anything. Additionally, the weight of her cannon would most likely result in her tipping over and falling backwards.

Destiny kept still, pondering the same possibilities. For several heartbeats, they both stood in silence, puzzled. Growing impatient, Aurelia finally blurted, "Use the jets." She regretted her words as soon as they came out of her mouth—the sight of the insect blasting herself into the sky so close to the city would undoubtedly act as a signal fire to the gun-wielding man. That appeared to be the only option, though—surely they couldn't turn around after making it this far.

Destiny appeared to share her apprehension, as she replied by rapidly shaking her head. "Just do it," Aurelia begged, fighting off her uneasiness. "You just need to make it over the fence. After that, it won't matter if anyone saw you. We'll run for it. Once we find Skyla, we'll be safe. No one would think of firing on a Gym Leader's property." _At least, that's what I hope._ Aurelia swallowed hard, still worried that the residents of Mistralton City were as enthusiastic about slaying the hybrids as Team Plasma was.

The insect whined, cowardly taking a step back and continuing to shake her head. "Do it," Aurelia repeated angrily, tightening her grip on the chains. "There's no other choice. If you want to live, use your jets." When Destiny didn't do anything, Aurelia shook the fence and screamed, "Are you listening to me? You need to use the jets! Please, use the jets!" She took a moment to calm herself, and then stammered, "Every person in my life has abandoned me, and the same thing is going to happen with you! But you—you're different. You have a chance to prevent it. You can tell fate to go screw itself! All you need to do is get over the fence. There's nothing to be afraid of. Please, I'm sick of watching everyone around me die! Use the jets!"

Stunned by the desperation in Aurelia's pleading voice, the trembling Destiny let out a choking sob. Dropping her gaze to the ground, she sullenly approached the fence and poked her claws through the chains. Aurelia backed away hurriedly as flames ignited in the soles of the creature's feet, forcing her body into the air. Destiny scrambled to keep her hands on the fence, which did little to slow her propulsion. The insect shrieked as she shot past the top of the fence, momentarily forgetting how to deactivate her jets. When she came to her senses, she leaned to the side before extinguishing both jets simultaneously and plummeting feet-first. Tucking in her legs, Destiny twisted her body and landed on her side. Dazed but uninjured, the hybrid flipped onto her belly and made a timid croaking noise.

"That wasn't so bad, was it? I knew you could do it." Aurelia marched up to the hybrid once she had landed, and, in spite of her amiable words, fiercely yanked her upright. "We're almost there. We just need to start running." When Destiny was on her feet, Aurelia raced down the runway with all her might, dragging the stumbling insect along behind her.

It then became evident that Aurelia had not yet fully conquered the cruelty of fate.


	40. Resurrection

The eighteen years of N's life had been spent building up to this moment. Every cold day he had been forced to sit through in isolation; every tireless hour he had dedicated to his research; every fleeting minute he had used to educate himself about the nature of Pokémon and the state of the world—they had all been steps in his path to reach such a lofty achievement. And now, all his hopes and aspirations were firmly in his grasp—they were bottled up in the form of a resplendent white globe, and he was only a stone's throw away from breaking it open and unleashing his dream upon the world.

N could see his reflection in the milky shell of the orb, shifting and swirling along with the cloudy essence trapped within. The leader of Team Plasma was almost convinced that the distorted image of his face, which was placidly moving on its own, was a separate being—could Reshiram possibly be peering at him through the guise? He wondered if the dragon's soul was even conscious, and if it knew it was being held by the fated hero of the Unova region. _Of course that's true. How else would it know when it's time to arise?_ N smiled at the Light Stone, watching as his reflection mirrored his jovial expression.

"My lord?" The sound of Dragon's anxious voice brought N back to reality. The king of Team Plasma slowly looked up from the glassy relic, having nearly forgotten where he was. The black-haired grunt had slipped into the headquarters moments ago, his arms tightly wrapped around what couldn't have been anything other than the Light Stone. N had been restlessly waiting by the entrance ever since he learned that Dragon had left, too excited to think about doing anything else. He had finished all of his preparations the night before, and now all that was left to do was awaken Reshiram. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling he was forgetting something.

Earlier, another grunt had handed over a blood-stained stack of papers she had discovered while searching for hybrids. It made N feel bad that the members of his organization were still partaking in such a revolting campaign, but the king planned to settle things during his ceremony. The papers, which had reportedly been found alongside the mysterious corpse of what appeared to be a Lugia, contained written instructions on how to produce the formula used to create the hybrids. Though they were spattered with dark red specks, the neatly-typed recipe was still completely legible. _We can't afford to leave this abominable information available to the world_, N had thought. _I'll have Reshiram set them ablaze as part of the ceremony._ He had placed the instructions beneath his script in preparation for the event.

"Yes?" the king replied. Much like the first time Dragon had returned from a mission, he seemed peculiarly nervous and jumpy. N didn't understand why—was he afraid of failing his leader? Though he didn't manage to bring back Genesect, this time he had successfully retrieved the Light Stone. N couldn't think of any reason for him to be afraid.

Holding out a Poké Ball, Dragon shyly stammered, "Can you take this for me?"

N blinked in confusion. "Is that Archeops's? Why would you want me to take it?" Hadn't he explained to the grunt what he planned to do once he was in control of the Great Dragon? Why couldn't he simply wait until then? N thought back to his conversation with the Zekrom hybrid, when he had scolded the grunt for overworking his Pokémon. Before he recalled that Dragon hadn't been present during their argument, he suddenly remembered what he had been forgetting.

_I promised the hybrid that I'd check in on him once in a while, but I haven't done that since I gave him his supper. I'm sure he's fine, though, and I'm positive all that food would've held him over for at least a day. I can't think of anything else he would've wanted._ Despite his reassurance, he couldn't help but feel bad for the neglected hybrid, who he promised would be treated like a king. _I'll make sure he has a special place in the ceremony. Both Reshiram and Zekrom are needed to rebuild the Great Dragon—it would be wrong to celebrate one and not the other._

"No, it's not Archeops's," Dragon corrected, stretching his arm out farther. "It's my Druddigon's. Please, just take it. She'd be much better off with you." N didn't feel like the grunt was giving him much of a choice.

Securing the Light Stone in the crook of his arm, he skeptically accepted the Poké Ball. "Very well, I promise to take good care of her." The agitation in the boy's tone made the king uncomfortable, and out of fear that he would upset him, he decided against asking why exactly he was so eager to give up his Pokémon. N also thought better of questioning why he wasn't wearing his uniform. _He's done so much for me. Even if he didn't succeed in rescuing Genesect, just the fact that he went out of his way to volunteer for that is very admirable. I may not know why he insists on having me hold onto his Druddigon, but if that's his wish, he deserves to have it granted._ He stuck the object in his pocket before asking, "Are you ready for the ceremony?"

"Ceremony?" the grunt repeated timidly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

_Of course he doesn't know what I'm talking about. I only came up with this last night,_ N scolded himself. "I want all of Team Plasma to witness Reshiram's revival. I shouldn't be the only one who gets to see such an extraordinary event take place. I would also like to use the opportunity to announce my plans regarding the hybrids."

"Oh, I see." Dragon didn't sound nearly as enthusiastic as N had hoped. The king wondered if he was jealous of him—after all, he had gone through all the trouble of finding the Light Stone only for someone else to awaken the Legendary Pokémon inside. _Well, it can't be helped that I'm the one destined to be the hero of the Unova region. I'll be sure to recognize his right alongside the Zekrom hybrid. Speaking of which… _

"I apologize if I'm asking too much of you, but I have one last request," N declared. The king felt as if he could truly count on the black-haired grunt; Ghetsis and the other six Sages seemed to have gone missing, leaving Dragon as the most trustworthy member of Team Plasma. N still didn't know what the officials were up to, but in spite of the Zekrom hybrid's warnings, he was sure they hadn't betrayed him for good.

"Yes, my lord?" N thought he heard a hint of irritation in the boy's voice.

"Don't worry; it's nothing major," the king affirmed. "Once the ceremony has begun and everyone is situated in the gathering hall, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could bring the Zekrom hybrid backstage. See, I'd prefer if he was kept a surprise. If I led him to the gathering hall myself, someone might see him, so it'd be best to bring him there after all of Team Plasma is seated. Since you've already seen him, it would be ideal if you were the one to escort him."

"Will do, my lord," Dragon replied firmly. "When will the ceremony be taking place? And where is Ben?" The grunt seemed to put emphasis on the hybrid's name, causing N to realize that up until now he had no idea what it was. The king immediately felt guilty—he had gone through the trouble of coming up with something to call the creature previously known as GMP156, and yet he hadn't even considered referring to the hybrid as anything other than what he was. _How depressing. I've been talking about him as if he's merely a token in my plan; something for me to use. It's like how trainers treat their Pokémon, or like how that scientist wanted me to use Genesect. I don't want to become that way. Ben is more than just a Zekrom hybrid. At heart, he's human, just like me. Even if he wasn't, no living, breathing, thinking organism deserves to be spoken about in such a way, regardless of whether or not its natural form has been corrupted._ It made N feel as if he was ignoring the value of the boy's life; the person he had been before he was twisted through science.

_I believe that names are very important to one's identity. No matter what variables a person encounters in his life, his name will remain constant. A person's name is a lot like his destiny: they're both assigned at birth, and they both tell a story about who he is._ N wondered if his own name held any underlying significance. _A person can change his name, though. I changed GMP156's name to Genesect. I suppose that's what makes one's name different from his destiny._

N held up the white orb proudly. "Now that the Light Stone is in my possession, we have no reason to wait. I'd like to get the ceremony underway as soon as possible." Echoing Dragon's emphasis, he answered, "Ben's in the chambers at the bottom level of the headquarters. Do you know how to get there?" Saying the hybrid's name aloud made N notice just how similar it was to his nickname.

Dragon bowed his head dutifully. "I'll find my way," he asserted.

The king let out a chuckle. "Well, you found the Light Stone. I shouldn't have anything to worry about. I'll announce the ceremony over the intercom. When you feel as if everyone has been given enough time to converge at the gathering hall, you can head upstairs."

"Right." Dragon loathly cracked a grin. Watching the grunt stalk off in such an averse, moody fashion brought a frown to N's face. What was upsetting him? Didn't he consider it an honor to carry out tasks for the king of Team Plasma himself? _Maybe he thinks of me as an equal, _N considered. _If that's the case, I understand his point of view. We're both humans, and our basic biological makeup is the same. In that respect, we are no different from one another. Our destinies are what set us apart, though we have no say in whether we are born kings or whether we are born subjects. I suppose it is unfair. But is everything truly black and white? Are we able to change our destinies in the way that we may change our names? Can we defy our intended purposes and become something new?_

N didn't know what to think of the prospect. It reminded him of the hybrids, who had been born human only to be transformed into abhorrent monsters—and Genesect, a creature that wasn't even meant to exist in the modern world. Were those really their destinies? _If I were to throw myself off a cliff right now, would that have been my destiny all along? There are so many variables in my life that could produce outrageously different outcomes if they were altered ever so slightly. How could this be my destiny if any number of events could've taken place and prevented me from reaching this point?_ N's ponderings created a paradox in his mind, so he shook his head and forced himself to move on. _None of those events have occurred in my life, however. If I've made it this far, then this must be what was intended of me. And now, I must take up this opportunity to fulfill my destiny and make my dream a reality._

Dressed in a ceremonial beige robe, N stood behind the podium, firmly gripping his script and the thick packet of papers beneath it. He pawed through the instructions curiously as the last few grunts piled into the gathering hall, marveling at the amount of effort that had gone into crafting the vile formula. _It's a pity all of this knowledge was invested in such a horrid project. Had this scientist not succumbed to his own selfish desires, what kind of great innovations could he have brought to the world? It's disheartening to think of how many times this cycle has been repeated: it's always the best of us who lose themselves to ambition._

The king took a mental count of the assembled grunts, noticing that the hall was not even close to its capacity. Where was the rest of Team Plasma? _They must be out hunting, _N concluded bitterly, _but surely this will be the last time any of them partake in that depraved carnage. Once word of this ceremony spreads, the true purpose of Team Plasma will be restored._ N studied the audience in front of him, wondering if they had any idea what was about to take place. The faces in the crowd seemed to be staring at him contemptuously, as if they believed he was to blame for the tragedy they were caught in the middle of.

Swept by a sudden feeling of unease, N experimentally prodded the microphone before raising his voice. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," he proclaimed uncertainly, trying his hardest not to stumble over his words. The king felt insecure in front of the prying, judgmental eyes of the audience, and suddenly the excitement of realizing his dream faded into the background. The grunts—who were supposed to be his subjects—appeared to be questioning his authority and spreading silent messages of discontent among themselves. What would happen if N failed to appease them? Swallowing hard, he forced himself to continue.

"I have gathered you here today for a number of reasons. First and foremost, I would like to announce that there has been a misunderstanding involving the beings referred to as Pokémon hybrids." N kept his eyes locked on the crowd, occasionally flicking his gaze down to his script for less than a heartbeat at a time. His proposal appeared to capture the grunts' interest, allowing N to gradually regain his confidence. "Despite what Ghetsis may have told you, I in no way approve of the extermination of the hybrids. I was absent at the time, and I was not given any say in the decision. As this campaign violates the basic moral code of Team Plasma, I am deeply offended by this mishap and I would like to apologize for unintentionally subjecting the loyal members of my organization to such violent misdeeds. As the king of Team Plasma, I would like to officially terminate this treacherous campaign."

A quiet round of applause resounded through the hall, and N was hit by a rush of relief as the place's cold atmosphere began to thaw. The people in the crowd were no different from him—they had all joined Team Plasma for the same earnest reasons, and they all had the same goal of establishing equality between humans and Pokémon. To have been given such wildly different orders and being expected to act upon them must have been traumatic to the dedicated peacemakers.

"Now, you may be wondering what I intend to do with these hybrids instead, as they still pose a considerable threat to the environment. That's what brings me to the next part of my announcement." N had purposely made his script short and concise, not wanting to bore the audience with a longwinded speech before the peak of his ceremony. "As you all know, Team Plasma's mission is to liberate Pokémon from humans. However, the prevalence of Pokémon training in the Unova region and support for the industry makes this a nigh impossible task—that is, if we continue merely protesting the activity and publically standing up for our beliefs. See, in an endeavor as ambitious as this one, I propose that we must resort to measures more potent than human perseverance alone. To separate Pokémon and humans, I plan to call upon a Legendary Pokémon for assistance."

The king paused momentarily, taking in the grunts' reactions. Their bright, hopeful expressions dramatically transformed into looks of awe and incredulity in a matter of seconds. N hid a smile as a warm surge of pride coursed through his veins. "Being citizens of the Unova region, I am positive we are all familiar with the tale of how our homeland was born. The myth about the Great Dragon and the two brothers is so deeply engraved in our history that it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. With no solid proof of the Great Dragon's existence, why should we believe that Reshiram and Zekrom were once a single Pokémon if the legend itself states that they were unable to recombine? Do we even have any evidence to support the belief that Reshiram and Zekrom were real Pokémon? According to the story, their souls were turned to stone. If this is true, then why has no one managed to find either of these relics? Well, my friends, I would like to present you with one of the products of nearly a decade's worth of research. In all its fabled splendor—the Light Stone!"

Gasps rang out through the hall as N withdrew the white artifact and set it on the podium. "Every legend holds at least a grain of truth, but as with most folktales, most of the reality of the Great Dragon's tale has been lost to the sands of time. Fortunately, I have been able to reconstruct what has been lost, much like how I intend to reconstruct the Great Dragon itself. The white dragon Reshiram and black dragon Zekrom are commonly perceived as polar opposites, and their original unity parallels the notion that we humans are driven by conflicting incentives. It is the choices we make that determine the kind of people we are! Now, you may have noticed that if this were related to Reshiram and Zekrom, something would be missing from the equation. If Reshiram and Zekrom are analogous to our varying motives, then what represents—for lack of a better term—us? How can morals and ideas be brought to life without a mind to conceive them? It turns out that we have forgotten a third component of the Great Dragon, and it may very well be the most important of them all.

"I theorize that the third entity making up the Great Dragon is none other than Kyurem, the beast that purportedly terrorized Lacunosa Town. It may sound like a bizarre concept, but if you take the time to analyze the facts, everything adds up. Zekrom and Reshiram, thunder and flame, can be thought of as sources of energy that powered Kyurem's body. When the Great Dragon broke apart, Kyurem was reduced to a hollow, empty husk. Perhaps the reason Kyurem has not made a reported appearance in centuries is because it used up what little energy it had left after the split and entered a coma-like state. It's not unlike a brain that has lost the ability to think. But now that I've obtained the Light Stone, I may be able to replenish Kyurem's energy and restore it to its former glory. One problem persists, however: how can I hope to recreate the Great Dragon without the Dark Stone? Well, folks, I may not possess the Dark Stone, but that is because I've already brought Zekrom back to life!"

Even though N had clearly established that hybrids were not to be seen as enemies, he wasn't sure if the grunts would be willing to accept a counterfeit Zekrom. N himself wasn't particularly enamored with the idea, but he had no other choice.

"That's right!" the king exclaimed elatedly. "With both Reshiram and Zekrom by my side, all that's left to do is reintroduce them to Kyurem. We've lived in a gray, muddled world of disorder and unbalance for far too long, and it is my duty to put an end to that once and for all. I'll show the people of Unova the truths of their injustices, and I'll enforce my ideals to rightfully divide humans and Pokémon. And then, black and white will truly be distinct!" He sauntered to one side of the stage, activating a mechanism that slowly drew back the curtains. Returning to his position in front of the podium, the king threw his arms into the air and shouted, "I present to you Zekrom, the Legendary black dragon of ideals!"

N's heart turned to lead when the hall instantly became dead silent and looks of bafflement spread among the crowd. Had Dragon been unable to locate the holding chambers? Had he simply decided not to show up? The king grudgingly spun around, and to his horror he found an oddly familiar brown-haired boy standing in place of the Zekrom. He was hunched over with his hands on his knees, looking green in the face. Dragon was sheepishly standing in a corner, pressing his palm against his face in shame.

The brown-haired boy tentatively lifted his head, giving the audience a weak smirk. "Legendary black dragon of ideals… yeah, that's me. If somebody could show this Legendary black dragon of ideals where the men's room is, that would be great."

_What is this?_ N cried in his mind, unable to take his eyes off of the scene in front of him. After several moments, he was hit with the realization that the boy was none other than Ben's human shape. N had only seen him in that form for a few minutes, but his appearance and stance were unmistakable. He was dressed in the same black sweatshirt and jeans, and much like how he had appeared during their first encounter, he looked woozy and faint.

N couldn't make sense of what he was seeing. _Hybrids can change back to normal?_ The discovery reminded him of just how little he knew about the altered creatures. He had never been given an opportunity to sit down and have the hybrids' physiology explained to him, and instead took them for what they were: humans who turned into Legendary Pokémon. Did the hybrids decide when they changed? It added a whole new layer of complexity to the situation, and N couldn't bring himself to think about it under the pressure of the confused audience.

His face hot with embarrassment, the king wordlessly closed the curtain before addressing the crowd. "I sincerely apologize for this," he proclaimed coyly, cutting off the hushed conversations that filled the hall. "Please disregard what you just saw. I'm afraid Zekrom wasn't able to be here." His statement was promptly followed by a stifled yell from backstage. N immediately lamented what he had said—would these people honestly be willing to believe that a Legendary Pokémon was unable to show up? Where else could it possibly be? Without his script for guidance, the king was left feeling lost and incapable.

N's anxiety relapsed, and he began to feel small and weak in front of the large mass of people gathered before him. He felt the heat of their penetrating stares, calculatingly assessing each misstep and waiting for him to correct himself. This was why he preferred the company of Pokémon—loyal Pokémon would turn a blind eye to his faults and accept him unconditionally. Humans, however, were an entirely different species. But what good was a king who couldn't confront his own subjects? Swamped with self-resentment, N forced himself to speak. "With that behind us, I would like to move onto the highlight of this ceremony. To prove my worth, I will summon Reshiram's soul from its eternal slumber here and now!"

Compared to his earlier assertions, his tone had grown particularly cynical and appeared to reflect the doubt that had overcome the majority of the grunts. The king closed his eyes as if to block out the scene in front of him, placing his hands on the Light Stone. "I, Natural Harmonia Gropius, king of Team Plasma and destined hero of the Unova region, beseech you to rise from your dormant state. Together, we will restore equality among the people and Pokémon of the world. I bid you to awaken, Reshiram, Legendary white dragon of truth!" He raised his arms a second time.

After several heartbeats of silence, N warily opened his eyes. The Light Stone was still resting atop the podium, the white mist jeeringly brewing inside. Too scared to see the audience's reaction, N couldn't bear to lift his gaze from the orb. "Come on, Reshiram," he whispered despondently, "what more do I have to do? Please, Reshiram, this is your time to rise!"

When nothing happened, N tucked the unresponsive Light Stone into his elbow and grabbed a hold of his half-read script and formula instructions, still staring down at the podium in anguish. "All of this was a mistake," he mumbled dejectedly. Mortified, he exited the hall without saying anything more.


	41. Sanctuary

**[Author's note: **_**Hey, guys. I'm not sure if you'll take this as good or bad news, but as you may have noticed, I haven't released any chapters in months. I attribute that to me being disappointed in how the early chapters were written and wanting to fix them up before moving on. So, I'm doing just that. I don't know how long it will take, but before I start working on any new chapters, I'm going to completely rewrite the story. Once I have five or so chapters rewritten, I'm going to delete everything and start posting the updated chapters. When that happens, I'll be sure to provide a link to a place where the old chapters may be read. In the meantime, please enjoy chapter forty-one. It's not actually finished, but I think I left off on a part that could work as an ending.**_**] **

The feeling in Aurelia's stomach started as a slight tingling sensation, but it grew stronger with each step she took. Even though she was fully aware of what was about to happen, she attempted to convince herself otherwise. _I ate too much, that's all. All this running must be giving me a cramp. No, it's no use! Why does this have to happen now of all times?_

The girl let go of Destiny's arm, forcing herself to ignore the churning in her belly and sprint faster. She had no clear destination in mind—she just knew she needed to run, putting as much distance between the forest and herself as possible. She didn't care about reaching the airport or finding Skyla; those problems would have to wait.

Aurelia doubted the bumbling insect would follow her lead, but she couldn't afford to let herself be slowed down. Destiny's durable armor and powerful jets gave her a pinch of reassurance, though after what had taken place minutes ago, she didn't think she'd be too willing to use the latter even in the event of an emergency. _She'll be fine,_ Aurelia doubtfully told herself.

The hybrid held back a squeal when her legs seemed to tangle together and she was thrown to the ground, scraping her hands and knees on the rough asphalt. The stinging pain swiftly subsided, merging with the uncomfortable feeling of her imminent metamorphosis. _No,_ she groaned in her head, unable to move. Aurelia hated transforming even more than she hated being stuck in the shape of a Pokémon, and seeing what had become of the unfortunate Colby only made it worse. The image of the boy's broken corpse instantly came to mind when her bones began to lengthen and her expanding organs pushed against the walls of her abdomen.

Aurelia's body seemed to morph in slow motion, contrasting with her throbbing heartbeat and the panic pulsing through her mind. Every tedious second her transmogrification wasted was another second she was left completely vulnerable. She wouldn't be much better off once she was fully changed, but at least then she'd have means of fleeing or defending herself. The hybrid hadn't actually had an opportunity to test out the moves of her Pokémon form, but she decided that if Destiny could figure out how to harness her abilities, it couldn't have been too difficult to understand.

Once she regained control of her body, the Arceus hurriedly picked herself up off the ground. Standing on wobbly legs, she stretched her neck to survey her surroundings. Aurelia rotated her head as she carefully examined the area, squinting to see past the chain link fence in the distance. She let out a mental sigh before turning her attention to Destiny, who was standing exactly where she had last seen her.

"_Des, get over here_," she ordered telepathically, lightly tapping her hoof against the ground. The insect groaned and took one step forward before being interrupted by Aurelia. "_No, scratch that. I have a better idea._" Destiny watched in confusion as the Arceus speedily trotted up to her. Aurelia gradually lowered her back, gawkily folding her forelegs under her chest. "_Get on_."

As much as Aurelia disliked the idea of being used as a mount, carrying Destiny on her back would allow the two of them to move much faster. She wouldn't have to worry about the other hybrid suddenly stopping and staring at something stupidly, and if she spotted danger approaching, she'd be able to bring both Destiny and herself to safety. Aurelia snorted when she imagined Skyla's reaction to such a bizarre sight, which reminded her of how difficult it would be to approach her now that she had transformed.

Even if Destiny were with her, she'd have no problem confronting the Gym Leader as a human. She could use the same story she had told the gunman, and since Skyla wasn't exactly known for being perceptive, she'd have a greater chance of believing it. In the event that she did happen to be aware of the strangeness surrounding the forest, Aurelia had met Skyla before—she'd have no reason to believe she was anything but human. Besides, she could easily make it seem as if she had come from somewhere other than the forest.

Now that she was assuming the shape of a deity, things wouldn't be as simple. Everyone in the Unova region knew what Arceus was, and considering the story of its origin, it would make no sense for it to randomly appear on Mistralton City's runway. As long as the man with the gun wasn't the only person who knew about the hybrids, Skyla would certainly suspect something. Aurelia doubted that the incident was undisclosed—having fifty teenagers disappear without warning wasn't exactly a minor issue, and by now the case must have been heavily publicized.

_So many families must've been affected by this tragedy, and yet no one in the world cares that I'm gone. I might as well not exist._ She thought back to Destiny's words of encouragement; how she had tried to convince her that her mother was still alive. For a second, she felt a faint spark of hope—what if her mother was missing like she was, and no one was looking for her? Maybe it was wrong of her to jump to conclusions and assume she was dead; maybe she should've done something about it while she had the chance. Aurelia then remembered that Destiny had denied that Colby was dead when his corpse was right in front of her, which quickly made her lose faith in her reassurance.

_I'm probably over thinking this._ Recalling Colby's death reminded her of how he was completely oblivious to what she and Destiny were, and yet he had been in Mistralton City the whole time. Even if word of the hybrids' disappearances had spread, it didn't necessarily mean it was known that they were stuck turning into Legendary Pokémon. Even if Skyla didn't believe Aurelia was truly Arceus in the way Colby had, it was likely that she'd have no reason to perceive her and Destiny as threats. _For all I know, she could think I'm a Ditto,_ she concluded, feeling a surge of confidence.

Destiny glanced down at her body and then at Aurelia, letting out a gurgling noise. "_Stop gawking and get on before I fall over,_" hissed the Arceus, beginning to lose her balance. Destiny whined and stepped closer to the Alpha Pokémon, throwing her stiff arms over her side. She hooked her elbow into the wheel-like structure on her back and kicked at her belly as she struggled to pull herself up. "_Watch it back there!_" Aurelia snapped, wincing at each blow.

Destiny continued to slither up her side, eventually planting her foot on the lower portion of the wheel. Though the insect had to have been less than a third of Aurelia's weight, the Arceus had to prop herself up with one of her forelegs to prevent herself from tipping over. Aurelia glanced over her shoulder at Destiny, who was clinging to one side of the golden protrusion and still trying in vain to climb onto her back. "_Close enough. Away we go!_" The Arceus's subdued exclamation was answered by a terrified cry. Ignoring the other hybrid's concerns, Aurelia shakily rose to her feet and galloped down the airstrip.

With her hooves clacking against the asphalt and Destiny's incessant wails filling the air, Aurelia gave up on trying to proceed stealthily. She charged forward with her head held low, slightly careening to one side due to the uneven weight on her back. Aurelia was grateful that she was running across a flat stretch of land; she couldn't imagine how she'd fare if she had to weave between trees or leap over obstacles, especially with Destiny hanging from her side. _If I'm fast enough, maybe I'll catch Skyla getting off the plane._ She scowled in frustration. _Forget it. Des took her sweet time getting over the fence, so Skyla's bound to be gone by now. Let's just hope she didn't leave for the city._

Aurelia slowed when she approached an airplane, which was most likely the one she had seen flying overhead. She tiptoed around it, ducking down and examining the windows. _I wonder if I'll even fit in there._ Not wanting to get distracted, she raised her head and promptly crashed into a furry shape.

"Use Flash, Swoobat! Who's there?" Before the Arceus had a chance to figure out what was going on, searing light blasted her eyes and she stumbled backwards, blinded. She heard Destiny let out a shriek and crash to the ground behind her. _Could things get anymore inconvenient?_ Blinking furiously as she attempted to regain her sight, a woman's scream pierced her ears. _Oh boy, here we go._

Following her ears to the source of the noise, Aurelia snarled, "_Listen, we don't have time to watch you freak out. Yeah, I'm Arceus and my friend here is a bionic bug. That's all irrelevant. Well, no, actually it isn't, but that's beside the point. Can you kindly shut up and hear us out?_"

"W-what are you?" Skyla stammered, her voice coming out in the form of a high-pitched whimper. The pilot's baffled voice came as a huge relief to Aurelia; perhaps it meant that Team Plasma and the gunman really were the only ones who knew about the hybrids in the woods. _That will make things a whole lot less dangerous, but I've still gotta make her buy the whole hybrid thing if we want to get anywhere._

The Arceus rolled her eyes, her vision still hazy. She could make out a faint outline of Skyla through the green and black patches dancing around her eyes, and realized she was standing directly in front of her. Her Swoobat was fluttering over her head, fiercely zipping from side to side as if it meant to intimidate the more impressive Pokémon. _That ugly fur ball is just as annoying as I remember it to be._

"_I'd appreciate if you addressed me as a "who" and not a "what", but that's not important. Anyway, I'm Aurelia. Remember me? It took me two tries, but I beat you. Gigalith, Darmanitan, Axew… yep, that's me. I'm guessing you're wondering how I ended up looking like this, yes?_" When Skyla didn't respond, she kept talking. She selected her words carefully, speaking hastily but going into enough detail to stir up feelings of sympathy. Impressed that the Gym Leader hadn't run away screaming yet, she described all of the events that had taken place earlier, focusing expressly on her encounters with Lynn and the man with the gun. Her sight had returned in full by the time she had finished, allowing her to see Skyla's horror-struck expression.

"Oh, Arceus," was all she managed to utter. Aurelia was tempted to throw her a witty retort, but she thought better of it. Skyla had taken the explanation surprisingly well, which led Aurelia to wonder what kind of oddities she had come across throughout her career as a Gym Leader.

"_That's why we need your help,_" the Alpha Pokémon declared adamantly. "_It's too dangerous here. I don't care where you take us, but we need to get as far away from this place as we can._" She stared down at the human sternly, half expecting her to refuse.

Her hands cupped over her mouth, Skyla stuttered, "Team Plasma… why would anyone do this to them? How could everything spiral out of control like that? Oh, no, all of this is my fault!" She rapidly shook her head in denial.

"_Wait a second_," Aurelia interrupted harshly, "_what are you talking about? What do you know about Team Plasma?_" Skyla's apparent guilt made her suspicious. She still had no idea what the original purpose of the organization was, but why would a Gym Leader, a figure intended to be a role model for young trainers, be involved with a group prone to such needless violence?

Skyla took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "I work with Team Plasma," she confessed. "The things you said about them… none of that should be true, but with you standing right in front of me, how could it be false? All of this is the complete opposite of what Team Plasma stands for! We want to create peace between people and Pokémon; that's why I don't understand why anyone would want to put an end to us. And for Team Plasma to react in such a disgusting way… how could this be happening?"

Aurelia reeled back in shock. Skyla's response to her account had been conclusively genuine, and she had no reason to question the authenticity of her claims. When she thought back to what the Gym Leader had said during their battles—nonsense about birds flying free and the importance of forming friendships with Pokémon—it was reasonable for her to be acquainted with an organization of the sort. However, it didn't explain why the only other member of Team Plasma she had met was bent on murdering her, but since Skyla seemed to be equally perplexed, she allowed her to finish her story.

"I've been away for the past week. The leader of Team Plasma, Lord N, doesn't believe in using Pokémon for transportation, so it's my job to bring him wherever he needs to go. That's how I learned about Team Plasma—he approached me about a private flight one day, and he ended up telling me all about his dreams. I've been a member ever since." Aurelia wondered whether this confrontation had taken place before or after their battles. If she was so strongly opposed to using Pokémon, why in the world had she decided to become a Gym Leader?

"This time, Lord N needed me to transport him to Nacrene City. He said he wanted to visit the museum and the library so he could research Legendary Pokémon. That was his goal: he wanted to resurrect Reshiram and Zekrom and recreate the Great Dragon. He told me all about his plans, and the whole time we were blind to what was going on back at headquarters. I only just brought him back there about an hour ago, and he was so happy. He had Zekrom with him, and… oh Arceus, I can't imagine how he's going to react to all of this. He's probably just finding out about it now.

"I don't know how all of this hybrid stuff happened, but if Lord N had been with his people, maybe it could've been prevented. And I was the one who pulled him away from them… it's my fault. I may not remember battling you, Aurelia, but no one deserves to be put through this. If there's anything I can do to make up for it, I'm at your beck and call."

Much like how Skyla seemed more concerned about the whereabouts of Team Plasma than the fact that she was talking to someone who had the ability to turn into Arceus, Aurelia didn't put much thought into what she had said about Lord N and his plan. The resurrection of a long dead mythical dragon was nothing to sneeze at, but it paled in importance to the fact that the pilot had agreed to help her and Destiny. "_Thank you,_" she remarked, having gained a little respect for the irksome Gym Leader. "_Like I said, it doesn't matter where we go. You're a pilot, so I'm guessing you know a lot about the region. Where do you suggest we go?_"

Skyla paused to think before replying, "There's a place in eastern Unova called White Forest. It's mostly been left untouched by humans, so I think you'd be safe there."

_Great, another forest,_ the Arceus thought resentfully. In spite of her experience as a Pokémon trainer, Aurelia had never had the opportunity to visit the remote forest. It gave her a bit of comfort—if someone as well-travelled as she was had never explored White Forest, chances were not many people had. The fact that it was on the eastern side of the region was reassuring as well, seeing as Mistralton City existed in the western half of Unova. "_Sounds good,_" she commented, dipping her head approvingly.

"Okay," said Skyla, pulling out a Poké Ball. She called back her Swoobat before stepping over to the airplane and unhinging the door. "Hang in there a second; I've got to pick up some supplies for you. There's a Pokémon Center right outside of the forest, but it'd be safer if you avoided it. I'll be back in a minute. In the meantime, you can get yourselves seated in the _Aeroblast_."

"_It has a name?_" Aurelia snorted in ridicule, contemptuously glaring at the white and gold aircraft.

"Why, yes, she does," Skyla affirmed in a sing-song manner. "Aeroblast is a powerful Flying-type move that only the Legendary Lugia is capable of learning." Destiny released a dismal sob, and Aurelia didn't have to guess why. "The name suits her well—this baby cuts through the air like a bullet! I don't understand why this technology hasn't caught on. There are so many advantages to flying in airplanes, and… oh my, I'm sorry! I'm just so passionate about flying, and it's easy for me to get carried away."

_Now I remember why I didn't like dealing with her,_ Aurelia grumbled to herself as the magenta-haired woman abruptly turned and darted toward the city. _What's so bad about using Pokémon for transportation? It's not like you can fit an airplane in your pocket._ Did Pokémon mind being ridden and dragging humans around the region on their backs? Though she had willingly volunteered to carry Destiny on her back, Aurelia hadn't particularly enjoyed being used as a mount. How did trainers' Pokémon, which usually had no say in the matter, feel about this?

Aurelia gracefully bowed her head as she approached the _Aeroblast_ and squeezed her upper body through the door. She continued to pull her body through the tiny opening, only to find that she could no longer move. Shooting a quick glance over her shoulder, the Arceus angrily yowled, "_Oh, come on!_" The golden wheel encircling her midsection was too broad to fit through the entrance, and the sturdy appendage had gotten caught against the walls of the airplane. Taking a step back, she twisted her torso to the side and thrust her body through the doorway, shifting back to her normal position after she had forced herself in. Slightly embarrassed, she trudged down the aisle and to the rear of the cabin, the corners of her wheel bumping into the seats.

_When we arrive in White Forest, nothing's going to stop me from taking the longest nap ever._ There was something soothing about the prospect of being able to close her eyes while knowing she'd wake up the next morning. The things she valued prior to becoming a hybrid were superfluous compared to what she needed now. It didn't matter what kind of trainer she was or how many Badges she had, because she had withered into an emaciated animal whose sole interest was survival. Though she had physically changed into a Pokémon, the true culprits responsible for transforming her into an inhuman beast were the people who perceived her as such. Aurelia and Destiny may have looked different, but they were human beneath their imposing exteriors—they were only monsters in the eyes of those who weren't willing to understand them. Skyla, however, had taken it upon herself to listen to her and treat her like the person she was on the inside, and Aurelia didn't know how to thank her for that.

The way Destiny held herself as she entered the _Aeroblast _gave Aurelia the impression that she didn't feel like she belonged there. She walked with a slouched posture, like always, and she looked from side to side as if she were expecting something to spring out from behind the seats. The hybrid tentatively plopped down in the front row, setting the base of her cannon over the back of her chair. Destiny squirmed in her seat uncomfortably, fitfully sliding forward and rolling her shoulders. The purple insect's fidgety movements made Aurelia feel agitated herself.

What would've happened if Destiny, who had limited means of communication, had approached Skyla by herself? It had been Aurelia's telepathy that allowed Skyla to understand what the hybrids truly were. Her ability to express her thoughts aloud was seemingly the only thing that made Aurelia stand out from a normal Pokémon—but did Destiny's inability to speak make her any less human? It was impossible to tell what the insect was thinking behind her expressionless visage, and if the Arceus hadn't witnessed her changing shape, she'd have no reason to believe she had the brain of a teenage girl. Maybe Team Plasma wanted to do for Pokémon what Aurelia had done for Destiny: provide a voice for those who were unable to speak.

Before Aurelia knew it, the _Aeroblast_ had taken flight. She peered out the window drowsily, gazing at the blur of woodland below her. _It's all in the past now,_ the hybrid whispered to herself. _I survived. _As the plane soared over the trees, Aurelia could almost see her memories disappearing along with them.


End file.
